The Day the Dream Ended
by Aqua Sunshine
Summary: When the Majou no Sekai is on the brink of being wiped from existance forever, an unwilling Chihiro is once again swept into the magical world. But has the years changed Chihiro more than even she herself has expected?
1. Default Chapter

**Author's Note - **Hey hey!! I know there're already lotza Spirited Away fix out there already, but I just couldn't resist when I watched the movie again…they were all so incredibly kawaii~!! ^^* So what can I say?? If you guys read this, and thinks it sux and/or bores you to tea…well then, feel free to tell me, and I'll stop writing it L But hey, if you like it and think I should keep writing it, pls PLEASE **REVIEW** and tell me!!! XD This first chapter is just a tester…of sorts…I guess if I actually see 5 reviews…or even 3 (??) I'll keep writing it…at least I'd know some ppl actually *are* reading my fic and it's not just sittin' here to rust o_O Hehehe…oh yeah...only one more thing before I forget…

**Disclaimer!!!……to ALL possible future chapters – **I'll just do all my disclaimers here, while I'm at it…Ya think if I owned Spirited Away I would come write _fanfics_ on it?! I'm not _that_ stupid…plus I'm pretty broke and could definitely use the cash!! For those that still dunt get it…I don't own anything here…!!!! 

Well, with all that outta the way……click on~!! I hope ya'll like it……and REVIEW~!!!!

and soooooooo…Ciao :P

~ Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	2. Reflections

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 1 ~ Reflections**

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**_It was always that same dream, that same moment that I had once childishly hoped to last forever. My hand in his; his gaze on me; his lips curved up in a smile so tender and full of care that I had not known he was capable of; that softly spoken promise that must have meant so much to us both. I was ten years old. An ignorant little child, no better at taking care of myself than I was at understanding much of what happened around me, or why things there had meant so much to me…_**

My eyes opened dreamily to meet with the beautiful blue sky, dotted with long graceful stripes of silver-white clouds. **_Silver-white and graceful…just the way he was…_ **Suddenly I sat up, angry at myself for daydreaming about…_those things_…again. It had been seven long years since I had ventured into the land of the spirits—a place I was neither supposed to go, or belonged in.

**_A girl-child does not belong in a land where spirits and witches exists in, where the only form of entertainment was a big bathhouse only for those who were wealthy enough to afford such a luxury…I guess it was a cruel world there, after all...everyone just worried for themselves and cared for nothing more than the golden spark of a moment._**Sighing deeply, I thought to myself as I laid there on that beautiful little hill, surrounded by the green grass of spring**. _To think that I had somehow once thought that I belonged there…to think that I meant anything to them. After all, I was only a human child, as special to them as the many pigs in their barn, awaiting the day they were to be eaten.  _**Wanting to distract myself, I sat up and looked around me as a gentle breeze blew by, ruffling my shoulder-length hair. 

Seven years had gone by, and the round-faced child seemed to have disappeared from the world. Instead, standing in her very shoes is a tall, slim, simply but stylishly dressed seventeen-year-old girl. Gone was the dull brown, short-chopped hair and the equally dull and flat eyes. Instead, they were replaced by the currently slightly windswept light-chestnut hair and warm honey-colored eyes that seemed to glow with interest as they took in the beautiful scenery around them—a perfect window to reflect the girl's very heart and soul, which she had unknowingly hidden from herself. Once a girl growing up in a big city, it was to the surprise of many that Ogino Chihiro would adapt to living in such a laid back and ancient little town so quickly. Whenever she was asked what it was that made her love the countryside town so much, she would smile her sweet little smile and say "It's because the forests are so beautiful and mysterious…they just have a way of making me fall in love with them." Secretly, Chihiro knew the reason why she always feels attracted to the town was because of its closeness to the land beyond that forest, beyond that mysterious tunnel and even beyond that "old theme park"…it was because living here had made Chihiro feel like she was closer to Rin and Kamajii, to Granny and Kaonashi, the friends that she had made in her short time spend in what seemed like a miniature world at the Aburaya. And most of all, the town, with its never-ending view of the blue sky that she had once shared with a certain someone, made her feel closer to him even though she could never see him. _Haku…_

However...as time goes by, people change, no matter how much they might will themselves to stay the same. The Ogino Chihiro that had once ventured into the world of the spirits no longer seemed to be there anymore. Oh sure, she was still a little bit clumsy at times, just like she was back in the day, but personality-wise…even her parents would tell you that Chihiro was a different person. Colder, more uncaring of others, more reserved about her emotions…it was almost as if she didn't want anyone to know how she actually felt, or that she wasn't the ice-queen that they had made her out to be. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she had to keep up that "status", after all, she _is _the most popular girl in school—in her whole town, even. She had plenty of friends to go around, and even more boys flocking after her, fighting for her attention, to catch a glimpse of her smile. But as each day goes by, Chihiro found herself growing more and more into this…different person—one that the society she lived in certainly accepted and loved…but not the person she knew she was, deep down inside. She was growing further and further away from the person she was in the land of the spirits, and it was killing her inside. 

It was killing her.

She didn't understand why.

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…okay, that definitely wasn't a very good start…but it'll get better and more interesting, I swear!! So…if you have anything to say about it at all…PLS REVIEW and TELL ME!!!! 

Oh, and also…if anyone knows what the name of "that place" is that Chihiro went to, pls tell me! I feel like an idiot saying "ze land of ze spirits" everytime I try to mention it!! 

Well, until (the hopefully soon) next time then XD

~Aqua Sunshine ^^* 


	3. Storm

**Disclaimer – **Ya'll know da drill…they ain't mine :( Hehehe…besides, I thought I made that point clear on the first page already!

**Author's Note – **¡Hola! Well, I said 5 or even 3 reviews and I'll post rite?? So here I am ^^* I'll save my blabbing till the bottom, but I just wanna thank everyone (LoL…or mebbe I should just say the four of you, on last count :P) who reviewed last time…you don't know how much it means to me to see that people actually come and read my figgy :D *****sniff sniff* You guys are the best!! Hehehe…but hey, enough of dis…hope you like this chappie~!

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~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 2 ~ Storm**

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Raindrops. A flash of lightening. Raindrops. A roar of thunder. The sky overhead was of an angry storm-gray; the river between the Majou no Sekai and the "real" world was over-flooded, turned into an impenetrable ocean by the relentless storm. The whole city—no, the whole _world—_was darkened so much that one could just vaguely make out shapes of buildings. If you were to look hard enough, somewhere in the midst of the storm smoke could be seen coming from the Aburaya, although there was not much of _that _either. The Aburaya was not as busy as it once was—it appears that most of the usual guests had not dared to venture outside of their homes tonight. To be perfectly honest, most of the usual guests had not dared to venture outside of their homes for months now, out of fear that the storm would sweep them away into the unknown. A powerful and destructive storm such as this was unheard of in Majou no Sekai, and that could only mean one thing—the magic which protected the Majou no Sekaifrom being wiped from existence, and prevents it from falling into the world of humans, was finally wearing off. Kaonashi looked out the window in the little laid-back cottage he had been invited to stay in, and sighed an inaudible sigh. 

Perhaps they were meant to become nothing more than rubbles of the remnants of an old "theme park", just like what the humans thought they were.

Their time and their world were coming to an end. 

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"Argh…I can't stand this anymore!" Rin cried out in frustration for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Not someone who was particularly fond of her customers or her work, one would have assumed that she would be happy to see so few customers to serve. However, it would appear that Rin also did not particularly like being cooped up inside all day underneath a darkened sky either.

"Just calm down over there Rin," Kamajii said to her in a pleading tone, "you're making these old ears hurt, and I'd like to at least think that I can die in peace when the time comes you know?"

"If that was a joke, it wasn't funny at all." was the sullen reply. Sighing, Rin sat down on the edge of the wood floor, where the Susuwatari proceeded to gather before her feet. 

"No food yet…you just had lunch! Don't be such pigs." the young woman scolded them half-heartedly. Although spirits did not age in the world of the Majou no Sekai, people did, and that included Rin. Although physically she had grown into her looks and appeared more mature, Rin still talked and acted like she did when she had met Chihiro—still the same mischievous girl in her late-teens.

"Now now, don't take it out on them Susuwatari. They're just suffering as much as we are, you know." Kamajii said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Seeing how dejected she looked, he crawled down from his usual post and made his way over to her. "What's the matter now, huh?" 

"I wonder if she remembers us." came the soft reply.

"Well," the old man began, "it's been a long time—seven of her years, I believe. There's a chance that she may not remember anything, or maybe she thought it was just a dream. She was such a little thing when she came here."

Rin looked over to the spider-spirit. Kindness was evident in the old broiler man's voice, and she could tell that he missed little Sen as much as she did. 

"I'm really glad that she made it out of here before this happened, you know? But I miss her all the same…I mean, she was such a clumsy little thing, I thought she would never get over tripping over her own feet." AN-no offense to Chihiro or her fans out there. I like her a lot too, but ya gotta admit she _was_ extremely clumsy at first! XD 

"Well, I would think that she's not so little anymore." Kamajii said, "and I'm sure that she's doing just fine. Even if she doesn't remember actually coming here, she could still remember us as a nice dream that she had." Observing the quizzical way the Susuwatari were behaving upon hearing the name of the young girl they had no doubt taken a liking to, he too, could not help but sigh. "You know, when she left us all those years ago to return home, I was really happy for her. But I had honestly thought that we would see her again someday…I just never imagined that we wouldn't be here when or if she decided to return to visit us."

"You got that right." Rin said softly, her voice barely audible above the roaring sound of the storm in contrast to the dead-quiet broiler room.

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"Kasonashi? Kasonashi, could you bring that seal to me please?" Zeniiba, sensing his brooding mood, said kindly to her "housemate". In truth, Kasonashi couldn't really be labeled as a "he" or a "she". Unlike most spirits of their world, No-face could be described as just that—"no-face", wandering phantoms without an identity, and thus spirits of his kind usually hid in the darkness or stayed far away from the rest of the world out of shame and fear. This particular one, however, had been drawn into light an even ventured into the world of other spirits and creatures by one particular person—a little human girl who went by the name Sen. Acknowledging her in his preferred vocabulary of sounds, Kasonashi brought over the seal which Haku had stolen from her years ago.

"Thank you, Kasonashi." Granny smiled at him. Looking at the seal which had once held a powerful and deadly spell meant to destroy all who try to tempt with it, she continued. "You know, worrying about things like this won't help one bit. There is nothing we can do that we haven't done already to try and keep our world apart from that of the human world—Yu-Baaba and I even tried a spell together!"

Chuckling quietly over the memory, Zeniiba looked over at Kasonashi, who also had an amused expression on his usually blank face over remembering that little incident. Hearing his inquiring tone, she answered his literally unasked question.

"Unfortunately it didn't do much good. All we did was delay the spell from breaking up too quickly, and prolong this monster storm. Our spell might have been stronger if we knew _how_ to work together." Rocking back and forth on her chair, Zeniiba chuckled a little dejectedly. "Sadly, neither of us could remember the last time we ever got along, let alone worked together. It's hard to believe we are twin sisters, isn't it?"

Looking the seal in her hand, Granny smiled at the memories it brought along—particularly the memories of one little girl wearing a pink spellbound hair-tie. "But all is not lost yet, my friend. Something will come up to help us. Something will certainly come up to help us." 

Gripping the seal tightly, the witch murmured a spell which caused the seal to glow a light pinkish-red color. Satisfied, she started to rock her chair back and forth easily again, speaking. "Let's just hope that our 'something' realizes just how much we need her before it's too late." 

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Wow…it's really 4:30am… laughing slightly crazily…ahh the joys of sleep deprivation…is dat even a word?? #_# 

Alrito…just thought I should clear some stuff up before I get burned for it o_O First of all, I have no idea what Kaonashi (No-face) is…I just made up the part where him and his buddies hide from everyone else, so dunt quote me on that ^^;; It just seemed so fitting to me, seeing how shy and gentle he was, and how he had kept disappearing into the background, that he would be something like that, rite?? Secondly, I'm assuming and writing this based on the idea that the spirit and human worlds exist at the same time, but separately. The "theme park" is like the gateway between the two worlds, but is also the replacement of Haku's world in the human's world…wow I'm not making any sense at all!! (Can you tell I'm a lil confused about this?? Man alive…I hope I'm not scaring ya'll away with this!! o_O) 

A special thanksie to _shazaoblossom_ for telling me that "ze world of ze spirits" is called **Majou no Sekai** ^^* Now I dunt have to feel like a moron everytime I try mentioning it…ur da best!!! I hope you liked this chapter too XD

So anyhow…what did you think?? Still keep writing, or just drop it and try something else?? Please tell me!! Oh, and bear with me if the chapters come a lil further apart than well, usual…this _is _my first actual fic ever, so I'm bound to suck at it :P If it's bad, just try not to burn me too much in reviews, ¿_porfavor_? Oh yeah…if you want, I can e-mail you when I post the next chapter(s)…just leave your e-mail address this time when you **review** (_pls_ do!!!) and I'll keep you posted, okiee??

Now…*yawns* good nite minna-san~!

~Aqua Sunshine ^^* 


	4. Everyday

**Disclaimer – **…yeah, you know what? I own them all, so start paying up for writing about them like I am…I WISH! :P

**Author's Note – **Wow…I can't believe I actually wrote & posted another chapter!! 

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~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 3 ~ Everyday**

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Ogino Chihrio sighed deeply as she finished rinsing her mouth with the ice-cold water from the tap. Straightening, she proceeded to brushing her sleep-mashed hair.

**_Another day of school, anther day of plastering a fake smile on my face, laughing that fake laugh that they have all been deceived by, and gazing into those eyes as he holds me…those beautiful blue eyes which, now that I think about it, provokes no feelings from me. Disgusting. Is this how I really live my life, everyday? Is this the way it was meant to be? _******

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**_I feel so trapped. _******

Placing the last piece of hair into its place and adjusting the too-short skirt that was part of our school uniform, I frowned into the mirror. It's been so long since I last thought about myself seriously—to actually take the time to reflect on how I lived my life. Perhaps it was because of a dream I had last night…another one about the days I had spent with Rin and Kamajii, and Kaonashi at the Aburaya. Somehow, the dream had been so realistic…it was almost as if I was there, in person, watching a younger version of myself living her life the only way she knew how—sincerely. It was then that something hit me…and with a sudden start I became conscious of the fact that somehow, I was so different from this little me I was watching…so different, it was as if I was watching someone else. I realized, finally, that the present me had turned to living my everyday life mechanically with a change so gradual that I did not notice in any way. After all, nothing new ever happens, and I am well aware of just how much influence I am to those around me. I had ceased to care for them, let alone cherish them as I once did. I know I did. What I finally saw the person I had become—the part of myself that only those closest to me and myself knew about, underneath that fake smile and even that sadly fake kindness I show to the world—it scared me. 

It scared me beyond imagination.

It's not who I am at all…and I know it.

****

**_It hurts._**

**_Have I hidden my emotions away so well that even I have forgotten where I had left them? Or is this who I truly am?_******

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**_What happened to me? When did I become this…this monster of a person?_******

Upon returning to the real world, I had vowed to never forget about them…and as the days went by my longing for seeing my friends there again, and wondering for their safety, had made me incredibly sad. To always be able to think of them, but never see them or talk to them, and not even knowing if they are all right or not…it was painful. It worried my parents and my newfound friends to see me like that, but when I had confessed to them the reason for my sorrow, their concern had immediately turned into alarm as they fretted over what they called my "lack of sanity". So maybe telling them that the reason why I was feeling so sad was because I was worried about friends from another world where witches and spirits existed in wasn't a very convincing cause…but how else was I to tell them? Lie to them? My eleven-year-old self would've never even considered that as an option. 

It was then that I decided I would hide this one thing from them…to keep them from worrying about me and to keep them from being so distressed out of the concern that I was insane. I had hidden it well, too. All those emotions of worry and agony and sadness that I felt whenever I thought about my days in the Majou no Sekai, and of my friends there…I learned to cast them aside and conceal them deep within myself. Gradually, I controlled my show of emotions so well that even my parents had ceased to worry about me as I seemed to live everyday as normally as any other eleven-year-old girl, and we all seemed to forget that I ever acted strangely. I don't think they even want to remember…something so out of the ordinary in their well-liked daughter would not look so good for the public. However, as I became better and better at hiding my emotions, I was also burying them deeply, without noticing it. Slowly I found myself to be always acting like I was feeling something, yet not feel anything at all. It's hard to understand, really…but it just happened, and I have no way of reversing something which I was not aware of happening.

That's not to say I'm happy about it though. 

At least when I'm by myself, I can become closer to who I still vaguely know myself to be…because when I'm by myself, I can still dream of the times in the Majou no Sekai—a place where I was happy in, even though I was practically a slave bound by life contract.

I had felt like I belonged there…with them. 

To my surprise, a solitary tear escaped from my eyes. Quickly and roughly I wiped it off my face, angered that my subconscious self displayed so valuable an emotion. Looking in the mirror which reflected my teary eyes, I sighed at my own naïveté that I would let something as simple as some childhood memories rattle me so much that it would cause me to feel this strange…loneliness. Wanting to distract myself, I picked up the shiny-pink hairband that I had received there, as a gift from my friends. Strangely, even though it was only this morning that I found it again, hidden underneath my piles of forgotten jewelry and other accessories, it was still good as new…almost as if it was actually protected by the barrier of magic that Zeniiba has cast on it. Despite the fact that I used to so treasure this particular hairtie and had been literally inseparable from it, it's been awhile since I've been anywhere with it. Thinking about the memories that the simple hairtie brought, and not wanting to give any thoughts as to why I would make the particular effort to search for it all of a sudden, I put it on my wrist and readied my schoolbag instead. 

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"Chihiro dear! It's seven-thirty…you're going to be late!" Ogino Yuuko yelled from the kitchen, where her husband was munching quickly and nosily on his breakfast, being almost as late as Chihiro was. 

"I'll be home late tonight." I said to my parents briefly when I reached the kitchen. As usual, Okaa-san had cooked enough breakfast to feed five people, although in reality there would always only be the two of them eating it. It's been awhile since we've lived like the family we once were, back when we first moved into town and I knew how to feel things like a regular person. I reached into the fridge for a sip of milk. Things have been like this between for so long now it was routine for me—me acting like a cold stranger to them and them walking on eggshells around me, not wanting to break what little bit of bond that still held us together as a family. Routine for me, but I knew deep inside my heart that my parents weren't the only people hurting for it. 

"But Chihiro…darling, don't you have an exam coming up soon? Are you sure you don't need the extra time to start studying for it?" Mrs. Ogino asked, looking concernedly at her indifferent daughter.

"I'll be fine." was all I said before leaving the kitchen and the two of them sitting there, motionless and hurt. 

**_So why do I act like such an obnoxious little brat around them? Around my parents, whom I know I love, deep inside. Why have I forgotten how to show that I care for them?_******

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**_Why do I have to hurt them so?_******

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Sorry about this chapter being so short/slightly depressing! I had wanted to spend more time with Chihiro to give ppl a better impression of how she is now, before getting any further into the fic. But somehow it just turned kinda weird…oh well. Actually…to tell you the truth, I really dunno where this is quite going yet…but hopefully the next chapter will outline it better for me and for you!!!

Also, I was going to make it just a tad more Japanese-ish and add in all the honorifics like Chihiro-chan or Zeniiba-san, but I kinda got lazy and decided against it…it really doesn't make much of a difference, but if it makes anyone better, I could start adding them with the next chapter… If anyone out there cares, just tell me, okiee?? ^^

With all that said, I hope you guys liked this chapter despite its faults! Hopefully, with spring break and all, I can get out the next chapter soon!

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	5. Premonition

**Disclaimer – **Joy joy joy…this again eh? From now on…please refer to "Default Chapter" Thanxie ^^*

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~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 4 ~ Premonition**

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"You have all pleasantly surprised me with your excellent grasp of the topic I gave all of you last week, from which you were to write a short piece on. However," smiling at her students, who were mostly eagerly waiting for their project results, the language sensei, Omiguri-san, continued, "there was one story in particular that was so spectacular that I felt the need to share it with all of you, and to congratulate that person formally." 

All around me heads turned and a few began to murmur, wondering between themselves who it could possibly be that pleased their strict teacher so much. Distracted as I was, I couldn't bring myself to think of anything that was happening at the moment. For some strange reason, I have not been able to take my mind off of my friends in the Majou no Sekai all morning, despite all the years that have passed since I last set foot there. In particular, I couldn't take my mind off of…a certain person…out of an urging sense of anxiety I felt for him.

**_Why do I have this uneasy feeling that something is wrong…that something horrible is happening to them…to him? _******

The sensei had started to talk again, and the next thing she knew, Chihiro felt the gaze of all her fellow classmates trained on her, and the sensei smiling at her. Still confused as to what's happening, Chihiro searched her frozen mind for what she could have possibly done to deserve this…and suddenly remembered what she had written about. 

"Ogino-san, your 'Letters to the Unknown' was truly realistic and very touching. Excellent work!" Omiguri-san said to her, obviously taking pride in having taught her.

"Arigatougozaimasu, Sensei." Chihiro, standing to accept her paper, replied with a false enthusiasm that she had forced herself to sum up. Hearing what she herself sounded like, Chihiro grimaced mentally, scolding herself for living her life as such a façade.

**_But why do I do this?_** Settling back into my seat, I assumed to cast that big, fake smile on my face for the benefit of my congratulating classmates, I found myself wanting to scream in frustration. **_I had once thought that in hiding my emotions from those closest from me, I could prevent myself from hurting them. Instead…instead, I've grown into a completely different person…I'm hurting them worse than I was before. _**

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**_But not as much as I'm hurting myself._******

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**_So why is it that everytime I think about them, my emotions always end up being so…so befuddled? Why do I always end up feeling so…empty? So incomplete? It's as if they owned a part of me, ever since I left there. _******

**_It's as if their memories are haunting me, wanting to remind me of who I once was, and the feelings I used to feel._******

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**_It's as if they're trying to help me, although they're not here._******

Sighing a heartfelt sigh, Chihiro once again concentrated on the work at hand, wanting a distraction from these baffling thoughts. Unfortunately, the language sensei chose that moment to split the class into discussion groups to discuss the poem they had been reading. Blinking in surprise, Chihiro blindly tried to follow the instructions, realizing that she had spend most of the class musing to herself, too occupied with thoughts of the Majou no Sekai to notice the passage of time.

Stretching her arms, Chihiro looked around to see her friends crowding around her, obviously eager to talk…although not necessary on the assigned subject. With yet another inward sigh she braced herself, and turned to face the one who was currently talking. **_This is going to be another long day._**

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The constant flashes of lightening illuminated the otherwise dark room, the many beautiful and expensive lamps in it made useless by the relentless thunderstorm. Standing near the window was a lone figure, watching the storm through her unusually worried eyes. 

A quiet knock disturbed the silence of the room, and the great doors swung open without a reply by either sides.

"You called for me." Haku stated to the figure, still faced away from him, unmoving and unreplying.

Crossing the distance between the aged and worn-looking figure, Haku took his time to look around the room as yet another thunderbolt flashed in the scenery outside. He wasn't at all surprised to find that it was exactly the way he remembered it, although it had been awhile since he last came here. The large room was still expensively furnished, with precious jewels glittering out from under their hiding places where their owner had obviously hidden them, and with high piles of papers stacked upon the relatively small working desk, a reminder that there was much work waiting to be done. However, if his memory serves right, it has been awhile since anybody in the realm of the Majou no Sekai took an interest in work. Stopping just behind the figure, the young man called to his former master and teacher quietly.

"Yu-Baaba." 

Yet that still provoked no reply. Curious as to why the once obnoxious and power-hungry old witch chose to be so silent, he moved beside her and glanced at her face. 

Lines of worry were evident in the witch's face as she gazed over the lands which she once so freely roamed during their "days". However, it was not the concern he saw that baffled him. It was the sadness in the old witch's eyes that surprised Haku. Never in his lifetime of working as her personal lackey has he seen her so dismayed by something…or feel so strongly about something that didn't involve money or anger. 

"Our world is dying, you know." she said to him quietly, eyes never leaving the storm-ridden land before them.

"I know."

Silence overtook them as the reality of those little words spoken by the two set in. It has been a fact, ever since the combined efforts of the two great witches failed, that the realm of the Majou no Sekai was dying. The spirits within it would be extinguished along with it, as would the human-captives and the many other creatures residing in its once beautiful green lands.

And that worst part? There was nothing anyone can do about it. When all else had failed, the witch sisters had made a pact to forget about their pasts and concentrate their combined efforts on the future. Working together, all which existed in the Majou no Sekai had thought it would surely work to save them. However, when they had tried to no avail, it was made a fact that they would have to sit by and wait for their own deaths. Those spirits who could escape did, and those who could not remained at home, spending their last days as prisoners of a magical storm that came from nowhere to perish them. 

"I called you here to ask you a question." Yu-Baaba said after a long silence. Having her sound so humbled…or at least, civil…was strange. Having her—the woman who thought she knew the answer to all—ask someone else a question was something even stranger. 

Nethertheless, Haku was curious as to what the question could possibly be. However, interested as he may be, his trained expressions showed none of his emotions. "Go ahead."

Chuckling slightly without humor, Yu-Baaba finally turned from her unbroken gaze upon the lands below them and looked at Haku. 

"Some things about you still haven't changed, has it? Even after all this time away from being my apprentice, you still speak as little as ever, and with as little emotion as ever." Haku was surprised when a smile graced the old witch's features, making her much less foreboding and worn-looking. 

"Ever since that little girl left, I don't think I've seen you get worked up like you would when she was here over anything, nor have I seen you smile like you smiled at her." 

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Yu-Baaba noted that an ordinary person would have noticed no change in the display of emotion on her former apprentice's face. However, she knew this young man who had once found refuge with her more than she would like to admit, and could see that he was merely keeping his face expressionless, to mask his hidden feelings...whatever they may be. Grinning slightly, she turned back to look out her great windows once more and continued to speak, as if she could not stop thinking of the times when the "little witch of a rebel" was here, ensuring havoc over her domain. 

"As much as I hate to admit it, everyone misses her—even I do. It's all right to let your emotions show from time to time, you know." Knowing that she was not going to get a reply out of that statement, Yu-Baaba returned to the original topic at hand. 

"The question for which I had asked you to come here today, then…I wanted your opinion on this: what are we missing in the Majou no Sekai?"

This time Haku did not even try to conceal his expression. A frown appeared on his face, clearly displaying the young river spirit's confusion over the blunt question.

"Missing…?"

"Yes, missing," Yu-Baaba let her own frown settle on her features, the subject at hand taking away her earlier cheerfulness. "We've tried everything, have we not? Yet the storm is still here, and the Majou no Sekai is still going to disappear. What could we have possibly missed that could prevent this realm from dying?"

Understanding smothered Haku's ruffled features. "You mean to ask what could whoever did this to our world wants from us that we don't already have…or that **it** doesn't already have?" the frown made its way back on his face. "I think a better question would be, what could it possibly want from us that it can't get by itself? Entertainment? We'd be more entertaining if we are alive." 

Yu-Baaba heard the sigh coming from beside her, knowing that her former apprentice was trying to contain his anger at being so helpless in a situation he wanted to prevent at all costs. **_His question raises a very good point, however._**She thought as she continued her stare outinto the storm**. _What could a being as powerful as this one want from us? A being that is not, but is. How could we have possibly missed someone with this much magic…and one so destructible? What does it possibly want to get out of us? Or rather, out of destroying us? _**

Shaking his head slightly, and reminding himself that a certain girl had taught him that anger does not help in a civil gathering, Haku collected himself and spoke quietly once again.

"It just doesn't make any sense!" he said softly, as if afraid that he said it any louder, he could invoke his anger once more. "But we have got to figure his little puzzle out soon, otherwise…"

His sentence was left to trail as a single blue lightening-bolt flashed in the sky, causing the young dragon to hold his chest in pain, the magic in the air obviously taking a toll on his body.

**_It's not just the lands that are dying…_**he thought as he struggled to get the pain under control. As the blue lightening had become more and more frequent within the past weeks, the spirits had had to learn to live with the pain that its magic brought along. As a spirit of the river, Haku was in tune with the element which brought the magical bolts…meaning he felt the pain more than any other spirits.

**_I'm dying too. _******

**_Perhaps even faster than our world is. _******

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the distance, thunder rolled. Chihiro snapped her head up from talking with her friends, eyes filled with dread and fear as she heard the words spoken by an unmistakable voice in her head.

**_Haku…_******

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dun-dun-dun…! ^^* Sorry if things in this chappie seem kinda rushed/long to you! (And not to mention that Yu-Baaba is *very* much OCC…but for the sake of the story, I needed her to soften up a bit…a **big** bit ) I really wanted to get past all this and get some action (and Haku ^^*) in here already XD Or, in the very least, have something happen instead of just thinking/talking heads…thou that isn't so bad either, ne? 

On a side note, in an actual class in Japan you're supposed to pay undivided attention to your teacher and glue your asses to your seats until break time, so naturally students probably won't do as much "discussion" in class as we do in the US or Canada…but oh well, works with the story! 

^^* Special Note to 'Silent Tears' Readers – 

As much as I love the way I had set up **Silent Tears**, I think I'm going to keep it as it is (no extension of chappies…sworrie to anyone who asked!)…But I was actually thinking of writing another one-shot (or actual fic, depending on how it goes) like the "letters for the unknown" I had mentioned that Chihiro had "written"… it would have somewhat of a connection with **Silent Tears**, to serve as my way of apologizing for not continuing it…although it _will _end up being a different story. Gomen ne, minna-san! But I wouldn't want it to just lag on cuz I'll just ruin it for myself o_O *shrugs* We shall see…but in the meantime, pls tell me what you think so I'll know what to do 

Ciao lata :D

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	6. Heartbeat

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 5 ~ Heartbeat**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking home alone silently in the sudden rainstorm, Chihiro finally had time to ponder over the events of the day…so normal a day it was when it started out, yet so unexpectedly strange it had turned out to be.

*Flashback*

"…and I said to him…Chihiro-chan? Chihiro! Are you still listening to me?" the noise of the students eating lunch in their classroom still did not dimmer the speaker's rather loud demand. Conversations stopped midway and heads turned towards the table at which Chihiro sat at, where her friends had proceeded to crowd around.

Snapping my head up sharply, I managed a rather cold smile at the speaker. 

  
"Yeah, I'm still listening." I heard myself lie. 

The girl looked taken aback at my reply. Seeing my cool response towards the girl, others around us began to pointedly ignore her as well, while those who knew me best began to look rather worried. Looking at me worriedly, Kasunami Chidori decided to speak up.

"Chihiro-chan," she began quietly beside me, "what's wrong?"

"I'm fine." Another lie.

"No, you're not." She replied firmly, knowing me too well. I smiled gently in reply, amused. 

**_Of course,_**I thought as I turned towards her, **_after all, Chidori-chan and I have been friends ever since I moved here. She really understands me too well. However… _**As another thought about our childhood hit me, my smile slowly dissolved and was replaced by a slight frown despite my efforts to contain it. **_Telling her about this…won't help a bit. She thought it was all up in my head back then—it was all just a wonderful story…she won't believe me. I don't want to lose her too, when she's so physically real and close. I don't want to lose another friend…_**

*End Flashback*

I let my feet guide me to wherever they willed to take me to—all I cared about at the moment was to get away from everyone to think with a clear head. 

**_I don't want to lose another friend…_******

Feeling a deep frown set on my face, I almost wondered aloud why I had thought of that at that moment. **_Lose another friend? Who said anything about losing anyone? And who would I lose anyway?_**

My strides sure and almost rigid, I continued my mindless march in the cold rain, having absolutely no destination—physically or mentally. My steps seemed to quicken to wherever they were going as another memory of today's events came back to me.

**_That voice, that strong feeling of his presence…that _**_pain** I felt… I wish someone would tell me what's going on. **_****

****

**_I wish someone would tell me that he isn't hurting like I think he is._******

********

**_I don't want him to be hurt…ever._**

Wanting to slap myself for thinking about something—or someone, I corrected myself wryly—that was so far off and whose very existence was questionable, the only thing I found myself thinking of was that he _was _real.

And so were these unexplainable feelings I have for him.

My pace quickened; everything around me seemed to be blurred and soundless, my mind focused solely on reaching whatever destination my feet were taking me to. 

I did not notice when the hairband-bracelet which Zeniiba had given me began to glow a bright pinkish-red as it pulsed against my bare skin, as if it were awakening from a deep slumber.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

**_A magical barrier…figures._**

Acertain boy stood before the wall of fire-like magic that could clearly be seen from his trained eyes. The boy—no, the young man, really—paced back and forth before the barrier, like a restless panther prowling the night. His dark hair, slightly longer in front, swayed almost viciously, keeping rhythm with his aggressive movements. Suddenly he halted in his steps, his mind admitting the realization that he had refused to allow himself to believe in.

"There's just no way out of here," he said to himself quietly, as if afraid to hear the words coming from his own mouth. "It's just like Yu-Baaba said…whoever it is that wants us destroyed wants to keep us in here…and away from the real world. But why?" 

Looking toward the barrier, Haku could see the other side quite clearly. The view which greeted him from behind the barrier was a familiar sight: beyond the steps, green lands carpeted with lush grass as far as the eye could see, and flowers bloomed from the carpet of grass, adding their brilliant colors to the picture before him. After the little girl had left him there, he often found himself visiting this exact spot as if, somehow, it allowed him to hold onto memories of her…of the times he had with her.

Looking upward to the gray skies overhead,Haku frowned, feelings of worry making their presence known to his unwilling mind.

**_Even on the other side the storm is taking its effects. What will happen to them when our world is destroyed?_******

*Flashback*

"You do realize that this must have some sort of effect on the other world as well, since we are connected to one another." the old witch murmured almost to herself, but still loud enough to be heard by the other occupant of the large room. Receiving no response from her young companion, she continued. 

"Our world is their shadow. They may not realize it, but our presence…it is important to them. We are their counterpart…a world for their spirits to rest in…to go to after their lives in the 'real' world is over. What will happen to them when the balance disappears? What will happen to them if we are destroyed? What happens to one part of a whole must happen to the other as well…does that mean they will be demolished along with us?"

Tearing her eyes from the destruction right before them, Yu-Baaba turned her burning gaze upon the young man, who currently looked too stunned by this revelation to school his features into their normal places. 

"Unlike us, they do not have knowledge of what is going to happen to them. What will they do—no, what _can _they do—when the storm of destruction which we ourselves cannot defeat with our magics attack their world? They cannot save themselves. They will die along with us."

*End Flashback*

Images of a smiling young girl, dressed in the clothing of the Aburaya, and then in clothing which belonged to her world, flashed across his mind. Haku felt his features soften at her memories…then harden again with resolve as he thought of the added consequences of the matters at hand.

****

**_I have to get to her…I have to protect her. I won't allow her to get hurt._**

********

**_I _**_cannot_** _allow her to get hurt._**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A lone figure sat by itself, features and even size indistinguishable by the absolute darkness of the room. Laughing soundlessly from its position, the figure continued to do so as it observed the raging storm from his magical seeing-windows, clearly taking delight at the destruction it was causing. 

The time is almost at hand.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kasunami Chidori doesn't exist in the actual thing…I couldn't have Chihiro talk to herself throughout the whole thing (o_O), so I had to make up someone for her to talk to, even if just for this one time. However unknowingly cold-hearted I had made her to be (at least for now ^^*), she still has real friends…not just ppl who crowd around her for the purpose of the story XD

Our oh-so-wonderful and still unknown "villain" is also made up…I dunt have the heart to make any of the characters in it evil ^^* But you'll see…it's not exactly someone unfamiliar… *hint hint* However…I have to ask that you will *NOT* hurt me for "whoever or whatever" this guy is going to be in advance…it'll all turn out, you'll see. Just trust me and keep your rotten fruits to yourself!! ^^;;

Alrite…so I know nothing of a connection between the two worlds, so I kinda just made something up…but for the sake of the story, will ya live wiv that? Pleaseeee? *^^* 

LoL…I'm almost done blabbing here…but apologies first… This chappie really was sorta slow… *ducks flying objects* That's what comes out of trying to figure out what's going on in the story and complete a single chappie after abandoning it for so long…gomen ne! Demo…this week was *extremely* hectic for me, and I had absolutely no time to work on anything, even in my spare class (lunch, and going out wiv friends aside…) ^^;; But I get next Friday off, and the Monday after, so hopefully the next chappie (for which I actually kinda know what to write already, really!) will be a lil more organized and move along faster. But hey, *brightens up* at least ya'll know Chihiro & Haku are both going someplace at the same time, ne?? Who knows? Mebbe they'll be able to meet next time… *hint hint*

Last thing…I wanna get another one-shot in (or mebbe another Spirited Away ficcy like I was talking about last time…more sappy than this thou :P ) before the next chappie comes out. Which would you prefer??

Later then!

~Aqua Sunshine ^^* 


	7. Reunion?

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 6 – Reunion?**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**_Well…here I am. _******

Feet subconsciously stopping on their own, Ogino Chihiro found herself standing before the same dusky tunnel which her family had ventured uninvited into seven years ago. Panting slightly from the effort it has taken her to get there so quickly, Chihiro found herself hesitating—and her heart racing wildly. It was not so much from the toll of the pace she had taken to race there, but because of the mind-wobbling swirl of thoughts that seemed to be attacking her right then.

**_What am I doing here? I did everything I could to leave here seven years ago, didn't I? Yet now, here I am, standing before the very place which had taken so long for me to escape from._******

********

**_It took me so long to get over them…to make myself forget about them…to make myself stop thinking of them every day and night, wondering if they're all right. _******

**_It took so long to convince myself to not think of him with every breath I take. _******

********

**_What if I see them again…what am I going to do? How am I going to act? Damnit all! I can't even show my emotions with the people I grew up with…I'll just end up hurting them like I did everyone else._******

********

**_Like I'm hurting myself._******

Taking a deep breath, Chihiro found her feet once again steadily moving toward the entrance of the dusky opening, eyes and mind lacking the confidence that her sure strides seemed to portray. 

And smacked head-on with an invisible yet solid wall.

**_Damn. I should have known better._**

Time and again, over the course of the seven years, Chihiro had tried to venture into the magical lands again, if only for a day…if only to say hello. But every time she tried to enter the Majou no Sekai she had been stopped by an invisible barrier, as if someone had forbidden her from ever setting foot in the Majou no Sekai.

****

**_Maybe they don't want to see me again…_**

The unmistakable roar of thunder came from beyond the tunnel, startling the girl out of her despairing thoughts. Chihiro gasped sharply, as if in pain, as a single streak of blue-colored lightening could be seem from beyond the darkened yonder. Grasping her chest, Chihiro stood with a stunned look on her face as the tearing pain slowly died down, along with the far away yet familiar feeling of…of him. A look of alarm overtook her features and overshadowed her doubts. For a moment, when the lightening had struck, it was as if… 

**_Haku…I'm sure that was him! He's…he's hurt…_******

Thoughts of the gentle boy who had taken care of her seven years ago swarmed her mind…it was as though he was there with her—as if Haku was there by her side. The warm, comforting feeling radiating from him, the gentle smile that his illusion cast upon her…it was enough for her to make up her mind.

**_I have to get to him, no matter what. I have to help him._******

********

**_I can't let him get hurt like this._**

Pushing against the barrier with renewed resolve and with all her might, Chihiro felt as though her heart was awakening within her. Working with heart and mind as one, towards one single goal, Chihiro gasped in surprise as her hairtie began to glow a bright pink on her wrist, almost blinding her, pulsing as though it too was in tune with her whole being. Somewhere beyond the dark tunnel an equally bright light seemed to explode and a streak of green began making its way towards her at an alarming pace. Chihiro closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact as everything around her seemed to glow in the bright pink of her aura.

**_Haku…I'm sorry…I tried…_**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

**_Argh…_** Growling softly, his dragon instincts almost taking the better of him, Haku wanted to yell in pain and frustration. As the magic-ladened lightening faded from the skies, he took a moment to close his eyes in attempt to calm his threatening anger, not wanting to injure any innocence in case he looses his grip on his temper by accident like he often did long ago, the days when he had been Yu-Baaba's apprentice. 

**_And_**** _who'd be here for me to hurt, anyways? This place is completely deserted._** Looking around, indeed the area around where the barrier stood was completely barren from all forms of being…other than himself, of course.** _Only a fool would come here at a time like this_. **

Sighing in defeat, Haku felt the corners of his mouth tugging at him in a tiny smile as he recalled images of the girl who somehow, probably unknown to herself, had a strange calming effect on the water spirit. When he had first met her in the Majou no Sekai, so alone and frightened, he had found himself with only one thought in mind—to protect her. Spending time with her, being gentle and kind to her, had made him realize that his frustration often didn't get him anywhere. After all, if he had not learned control over his temper and had lashed out at her or hurt her feelings, he wouldn't have had the experience of holding her complete and absolute trust—an experience that he had found most enjoyable, and had brought him a strange sense of comfort.

Mind calmed, Haku returned his focus on the situation at hand. He had been trying for hours now to find a way into the other world, to get to her…to find her and protect her once again. However, as much as he desired to be with her right now, the barrier seemed to have other ideas in mind…such as not letting him succeed.

Taking a deep breath, Haku prepared himself for making another attack on the barrier…and the aftereffect of having the barrier bounce his magic right back at him.

**_It might be painful,_** he thought as he grimly readied himself, **_but if I don't try, I might not get the chance to see her again. _**

Focusing all his energy on the barrier, Haku summoned all the power he had left in him for one full-out attack.

**_I do not wish to live a life of regret—or even a day of regret—wondering if anything would have been different if I was there with her…if I was there for her._******

For a moment, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind seemed to itch; a tiny voice in his head asked him why he was doing this…why he, who once thought of no one but himself, was ready to sacrifice so much for so small a person…for so little in return, if anything at all.

But the moment of doubt did not last for him—pushing the sidetracking thoughts to the back of his mind, Haku felt himself being strengthened by his newly reinforced resolve…his mind overcoming with an emotion he himself could not define.

**_I am doing this for her…because…_******

**_Because she is the most important person to me in the entire world…_******

********

**_And because I will give up everything for her._**

Eyes and body glowing with his power, Haku let loose his blast and continued to do so as the greenof his magic streaked towards the wall. 

As the glow seemed to turn the eternal darkness momentarily into day; all that could be seen was the powerful blast of green clashing with the red of the barrier, the two magics trying to swallow up one another.

Then nothing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Let your heart guide you on…" 

Chihiro opened her eyes slowly into absolute darkness; panic seized her whole body. **_What's going on? Am…am I blind? Or dead? _**

********

**_Where…where am I?_******

The world around her was completely engulfed in the darkness, like it was the dead of the night. No starts shone in the sky; no moonlight illuminated the lands on which she stood. All was dark. Black. Nothingness. Blinking rapidly, she let out a relieved breath as her eyes caught sight of something in the darkness around her. If it weren't for the brightly glowing fire-like wall glowing near her, she would have thought that she was truly blind.

Alright…so I'm not blind. She thought, trying to calm herself down. But that doesn't explain where I am, or how I got here.

****

Frowning in thought, Chihiro walked up to the wall of fire. Using its light to try to see what's around her, Chihiro found herself more lost than before, if that's possible. Nothing in her surrounding seemed familiar to her—there was nothing but barren wastelands around for her to see, anyhow. No sign of life anywhere, nor was there any sign that _creatures_, no matter what they are, lived there. The land seemed devoid of any inhabitants—the land itself was dead.

**_What is going on here?_**Chihiro thought frantically**_. The last thing I remember, I outside the tunnel, trying to get in…and then…that…that light that came towards me. _**

Gasping, Chihiro felt her wrist for her hairtie in the dim light provided by the fire-like magical wall…and found it still warm. 

**_That light emitting from it…it must have protected me, somehow, and send me here. But where exactly is _**_here**? **_****

Sitting down before the wall, defeated, Chihiro noticed for the first time that it was raining. No…_pouring_ was a more fitting term to describe the raging storm which had drenched her without her noticing. Overhead, thick clouds covered the entire sky and occasionally, thunder could be heard amid the howling winds of the storm.

**_Well…at least that explains the darkne…_**

Without warning, blinding pain seized her entire being—so much that she could barely breathe. Falling over, clutching her chest in pain, Chihiro squinted one eye open to meet another flash of blue-colored thunder…bringing with it another wave of pain.

**_It's the same as before._**Closing her eyes as she tried to hold herself together through the wave of pain, Chihiro's mind seemed to slow to a trickle as she recalled events which had happened earlier that day. **_Back at school, and then later at the tunnel, when the blue-lightening flashed…it's the same pain…that same pain that I felt Haku had felt…! But how's that possible?! Except…except…_**

In her surprise, Chihiro jumped up: all of a sudden, everything seemed to fall into place. 

**_I'm in the Majou no Sekai…_**

Before she could complete her train of thought, however, another flash of blue-lightening caught her eye, and another wave of pain overtook her entire body.

Feeling her mind blank out and everything before her going black, Chihiro prepared herself for hitting the hard ground, mentally scolding herself for standing up so tall in the first place. However, the awaited impact was shortened by an arm gently supporting her, keeping her from falling. With much effort, Chihiro tried to open her eyes but only succeed in opening them to tiny slits. What she saw surprised her so much that she momentarily forgot about her tearing pain.

Dark hair and familiar yet different looking mossy green eyes met her vision. A smile so gentle and alike to the one held by the boy in her memories, yet so dissimilar at the same time took her breath away as she passed into the darkness once again.

**_Haku…? _******

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Drumrolls* Wow…this is actually getting somewhere…finally~! *breathes a sigh of relief* I thought I'd never get past all the talking heads!!! Well…did anyone notice how the 'title' has a question mark at the end?? LoL…Gotcha! You thought I was going to have them meet this them, eh?? *looking sheepish*…actually, so did I ^^;; *Tohru-style constant bowing…Fruits Basket, anyone?* Gomen gomen!! I didn't know they didn't wanna meet until later! But wait…maybe they *did* meet! You know…Chihiro's "rescuer" at the end?? Mahahaha… *evil laughter continues* Ahem…alrite, I'll leave that alone…until next time, that is :D Honestly, you'll have to wait and see what happens with that…mebbe Chihiro *is* with Haku right now, because I didn't really describe how much Haku has changed physically over the years…

But enough of this…Bahhh…I started 2 other fics at the same time…!! Yeah yeah, I know, me crazie…I'm having enough trouble keeping up wiv this one fic already XD But hey, if they all turn out, then wunt you read them?? I just hope that I can finish this fic up quickly before I forget what I was going to write!! As it stands right now…I *think* we're about halfway thru, if not more…so dunt quit on me! Wait until you find out the ending before you stop reading it!!

Criticisms & Comments most welcomed…especially now, when I'm so close to the finish!! Bubai~!

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	8. Meetings

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 7 – Meetings**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All around me was mist…I squinted my eyes, trying to look for something…_anything_ that could possibly be out there in this misty yonder. My gaze meeting nothing but more mist and emptiness, I sighed in defeat and began to walk, feeling a bit of déjà vu as I did so. 

**_Wherever I am…didn't I do this already, just a little while ago?_**

With much effort, I searched my dully-aching head in order to recall events which had happened earlier that day. Suddenly, I paused in my aimless walk and looked again at the misty realm which I stood in—really look at it…and my eyes widened voluntarily as I gradually came to a realization.

**_It's…it's light out… _******

Shaking my head as if to clear it, I held my hand out before me and found myself staring at it…and actually seeing it. Thinking back, and remembering the chilling cold of the darkness which had enveloped me in the land I presumed to be the Majou no Sekai, I shivered before returning to my train of thoughts, wanting to keep them intact. 

**_When I opened my eyes last time, I thought I was in the Majou no Sekai, and everything was dark…so I guess that must mean wherever I am now, it's no longer the Majou no Sekai! _******

Shaking my head and smiling a bit ironically at my current lost situation—to be more accurate, my _constantly recurring lost situation_—I continued to search in the seemingly endless mist for some sort of sign that could answer my questions. 

**_It seems that all I've been able to accomplish today is get myself lost._**

Continuing my walk, I found myself actually smiling quite cheerfully in spite of the baffling situation. Amused at myself, I realized that my smile, which used to never seem to leave my face when I was younger, felt so strangely unfamiliar…so out of place on a face which had only been capable of forced and faked expressions.

**_It's been so long…so long since I last smiled like this…since I last truly felt anything but emptiness and loneliness. It's been so long since I last allowed myself to be happy…so long since I last allowed myself to just…be myself. Why didn't I realize it sooner? Why didn't I realize that when I try to hide myself from the world, I'm also hiding myself from me…and that I'd bring myself and those around me nothing but misery and hurt? _******

Yet as I debated in my head over my own belated realization, a part of me had known the answer all along. 

**_I had given up…given up on ever regaining my emotions and showing them again, because I was afraid that I'd hurt others around me, just as I did once. _******

********

**_Because I was afraid…so afraid…of getting hurt again._******

********

**_And yet…strangely, for all that I thought I had forgotten what it_**** _means to feel and had lost all hopes of regaining my emotions…all it took for them to return was for me to come back to the Majou no Sekai…for me to admit to myself that I've always missed my friends, and worried about them…_**

****

**_All it took for me to regain my emotions was for me to realize and admit, at least to myself, just how much he means to me._**

Sighing and scolding myself for thinking about something so…so…_irrelevant_!…in the situation that I am in, I couldn't help but smile again at the thought of the boy who had somehow called me into his world once again.

That was also when I noticed that the mist around me had started to lift as everything seem to begin to glow brighter; somewhere from the source of light in the yonder a voice called out to me.

**_"Let your heart guide you on…"_******

A frown settled over my features—the voice sounded so familiar! I quickened my pace toward the voice and the source of light, enthralled by its mystery.

**_"Believe…"_** the speaker continued, voice fading as I got closer to it. **_"Believe in yourself, and believe in your heart. Let your heart guide_ _you on…let it awaken the magic within you…"_**

And it was gone. Darkness once again enveloped me, and I felt myself falling into the nothingness. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Finally opening her eyes in her reality, Chihiro found herself in a bed, surrounded by layers of comforters and pillow alike. Struggling to get up from underneath the multi-layered yet light covers, she looked around her, almost afraid of what she might find. After all, when you've woken up to three completely different environments in one day, one of which wasn't even in realism, you become somewhat wearier of it. 

To her relief, candlelight met her vision, lighting up the otherwise dark room. Thunder could be heard outside the…wherever she was at the moment, and the sound of rain constantly falling brought a strange comfort to her ears. 

**_Well, at least this time I know I'm in the Majou no Sekai again._**

Unnerved by her strange dream and even stranger encounter with the voice, Chihiro breathed a mental sigh of relief, thankful that her strange ordeal was over…for now. Slipping quietly out of the comfortable bed she was placed in, she walked over to the large window, eager to see the land of the spirits after such a long time. However, as she looked out the window, she found herself at a total loss of words at the sight which met her eyes.

The lands, once beautifully green and fertile, was completely devoid of all color…except for black and the occasionally lighter shade of gray. The sound of falling rain which had greeted her was in truth a thunderstorm, merciless in its nature, drowning out and killing all which stood in its way. The beautiful crystal-blue river that once divided this world and her own was no more…instead, dark, ugly and harsh waters overtook its place, its waves destroying living and non-living things alike as they crashed onto one another. The once clear blue sky was darkened by the angry layers of clouds which choked out all rays of sunlight who dared threaten to shine upon the dying land; nothing could be seen in the distance, where the smoke of the Aburayabathhouse once graced the skies. The horror of the destruction of the lands that stood before her seemed to tear at Chihiro's heart and froze her swirling thoughts, leaving the girl feeling pained and utterly helpless at the situation which stood before her. A strangled sob escaped from her trembling lips.

**_Oh God…what…what's going on here?! Why is this happening?_**

As her mind began to seemingly work again, a million thoughts crossed the girl's mind. What about her friends…Rin, and Kamajii? And Zeniiba, Kaonashi…and Yu-Baaba, Bou, and everyone else at the bathhouse? What about…

**_Haku…where are you? How am I supposed to find you like this? What if…what if…_**

The thought of never seeing her friends again, of the possibility that they may not even exist any longer, tore at the girl's heart…especially the thought of an eternal parting from a particular dragon. Tears began to fall silently on their own at her thoughts; Chihiro felt as if her heart was about to break in two…

Preoccupied as she was by her heartbreaking thoughts, Chihiro did not notice when someone else entered the room which she alone had occupied just moments before.

"Chihiro." He muttered quietly, almost to himself. 

Upon hearing her name, the said girl snapped her head up, surprised out of her thoughts at the familiarity of the voice. Swirling around as quickly as she could to face the speaker, Chihiro felt as if her heart had stopped beating the moment she laid eyes on him.

"Haku…" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Zeniiba?"

"I've lost track of her." was the grim reply. Turning from her position facing the large windows, the old witch felt the lines of worry on her tired face. She looked at the other occupants in the room and noted that they, too, shared her frowning expression, each silently concerned for the safety of their little human friend. 

Silence hung in the room despite the fact that the usually empty room was quite occupied—Yu-Baaba, having sensed that something was amiss when she saw the strange flashing of magics by the barrier which separated the two worlds, had summoned those closest to her to tell them the news.

****

**_The years sure have changed us all._** Zeniiba thought to herself wryly, eyeing her twin sister who, not so long ago, wouldn't have been caught dead worried about anything but her own well being…and her money, of course. Actually, the witch probably didn't know what it meant to care for another in the first place, let alone share that care and concern which comes with it with someone else**_. Meeting that girl…watching her struggle to find herself and grow from her experiences…it has changed us all—even the most stubborn of us. But now this…_**

It was Rin who could no longer stand the silence and finally spoke up first.

"Argh…I can't take much more of this!" the girl threw her hands up in the air, as if hoping to take her frustration out on the very air itself which surrounded her. Getting up and, much to the distress of the other occupants of the room, she started to pace back and forth between the windows and the people in it. "We were this close…_this close_!…to meeting with Sen again! And now that we know she's here, all of a sudden we would just lose track of her?! Where could she possibly be?! She can't survive on her own like it!"

"Rin, calm down. We all feel the same way, and beating the air isn't going to help." Kamajii said as calmly as he could. Frustration was clearly written on the old spider-spirit's face, which was not an usual event as he was not one easily unruffled.

In his own quite way, Kaonashi walked over slowly to the fuming young woman, comforting her with his murmuring speech. Seeing this, Yu-Baaba couldn't help but smile a bit, still having difficulty believing that this was the same greedy monster that had almost destroyed her bathhouse.

"He's right Rin…being angry right now isn't going to help Sen any." the old witch addressed her in a surprisingly gentle tone. "Right now, we have to try to track Sen down…and fast. She can't survive out there on her own—not in this world, and not when it's like this. She sure picked a bad time to visit." Turing from the group of staring eyes, who were surprised at the degree of her change of tone, Yu-Baaba looked indifferently towards the thick and unyielding dark clouds outside.

"What if it wasn't an accident she's here now, all of a sudden?" the new voice startled everyone in the dark room. Bou stalked in quietly, having obviously overheard the bulk of their conversation, dragging with him one of the many cushions at his disposal. The giant baby—still no older than he was when he had met Chihiro—continued to talk to the 'concerned adults' who were no better off at figuring out the bafflement of the situation than he was. "What if she was meant to come…what if she was summoned here by someone?"

"He raises a very good point." Zeniiba said quietly, straining to smile but still smiled nethertheless affectionately at her sister's baby. "And it would explain many things to us…the most recent of which being why we would suddenly loose track of her aura as if she had disappeared off the face of our world." 

"But who would do this? And why would they want Sen?" a very concerned Rin thought out loud. Beside her, Kaonashi nodded his head viciously, agreeing with her questions. 

"I think a better question would be…who _could_ do this? To conceal something's aura takes very powerful magic, you know…magic that no one whom we know of possess…no one that remained in this world, anyhow." Yu-Baaba answered the duo, brows knit together in deep thought. Lines had appeared on her face where there was none before—an indication of just how much more worried the old witch was than she is letting the others on.

"Kohaku has that power, doesn't he?" referring to the young dragon by his 'real name' which the witch had once stolen from him, Kamajii asked the one in the room who held the most knowledge of her former disciple's powers.

"Yes…he does." was the soft reply. If it was at all possible, the old witch seemed to look even more worried than she already was.

"But why would Haku want to conceal her from us if she's here?" Bou asked the suddenly silent adults, impatient to get some sort of an answer. 

"That just adds another question to our list, doesn't it?" Kamajii said, perturbed but not unkindly.

"He has been missing, hasn't he? Since you last talked to him?" Zeniiba asked her twin sister quietly. If not for the silence that had claimed the occupants of the room, she would not have been heard at all.

"Yes…yes he has." Yu-Baaba answered just as quietly, eyes not leaving the thick clouds outside. **_And he had left without saying anything at all…not of what he was thinking of, not of where he was going, not of why he was going. After I told him of the eventual destruction of little Sen's world after ours disappears, he just…left. Not angrily, not hurriedly…he just walked out the doors and disappeared, leaving no trace of his aura in our world._ **

****

**_What is going on here? Haku…Sen…wherever you two are…please be careful…and make it back to us. _******

********

**_Make it back to us alive._**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tada~! Another chappie up, and another chappie closer to the end. Man alive…*yawns* I have so much homework/studying to do still, and all I wanna do is sleep~!! But…I didn't wanna keep you guys waiting ^^* 

But anyways…in exchange for updating so much sooner than I originally planned, I'm still not gunna tell you if they're together yet or not (or, at least, that was the best excuse I could come upwiv..) *hint hint*…and that leaves us wiv a question that I had to ask myself…*if* they're not together yet…then who the hell is Chihiro with right now?!?!?!*ready to pull out my own hair* LoL…j/k~! I actually *do* know what I'm doing, for a change, dunt worrie, you'll see in time too!! We might actually be closer to the end than I thought we were last time…and the fact that this chappie being a tad longer than my usual chappies might have had something to do with it ^^* Gomen nasai if it was much too long~!

One problem I seem to have while writing is that my plot seem to want to lag and take forever to come out…*shakes head* Gomen nasai, minna-san~! There seems to be nothing I can do about it…but eventually, eventually…the story will come to and end, even if it comes a tad slower than you and I both want it to. In the meantime, pls just stick wiv me and read thru the plot-lags…or *brightening up* you guys can help/teach me how to get pass them~! ^^* Hehehe…after all, this is my first ficcy every, so I'm allowed to make it a learning experience too…aren't I?? 

Soooo…wiv dat said, sorry this chappie had to be slower (somewhat), cuz I just couldn't have a Chihiro whom I had made pretty impersonal and cold to her surroundings just snap back together and be all bubbly and lovey-dovey, now could I?? ^^* Also…*looks ashamed* I was so caught up in trying to quickly get to a Haku/Chihiro meeting that I kinda forgot about the other characters!! *ducks flying objects* Gomen ne~! But hey…they made an appearance in this chappie…at least ya'll know they're still alive…right?? XD

By the way…this probably had nothing to do with the story…but does anyone out there know how to get the frickin italics working?!?! *sleep deprivation and loads of hw obviously taking its toll on me…* Man alive, they seriously hate me~!!! X_x Anyhow…if anyone could help me wiv dat I'd really appreciate it :D

Anyhow…the usual comments n' critics are most welcomed…so are praises, if you think are applicable ^^* Hehehe…until next time then~! (And I promise you, next time I'll tell ya'll for sure whether or not Haku & Chihiro are together or not…and if not, who Chihiro is with right now, and where Haku is at too…but you just gotta wait!!)

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*

ps: Morrigan/Nickoi…you said you wanted my email…? If you click on "Aqua Sunshine" at the top of the story, right underneath where it says **Story » Spirited Away » The Day the Dream Ended**…it should lead you to my "home" page, where my email and other stories are. But *shrugs* if you're too lazy to do that (if it were me, I'd be too lazy to do that too ^^*) then it's _friskyfilly00127@hotmail.com_. There you go!!


	9. Stranger

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

`````All characters' thoughts from now on will be in **_bold-italics_**…I finally got them working~!!`````

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 8 – Stranger**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Haku…" she whispered to herself one more time upon seeing her rescuer, almost as if needing the assurance of hearing the name again.

They stood there, halfway across the room from one another, neither of them saying anything else or taking the initiative to move. For Chihiro, it was as if time stood still—and her heartbeat along with it.

********

**_There he is…after so many years, after all that time missing him and trying to make myself forget him…there he is. But…_** Chihiro bit her lips in thought as she stood there, eyes never leaving the boy before her. **_But something's not right…why do I get the feeling that something isn't_ _right…?_**

"Chihiro…I've missed you so much." He said, finally breaking the silence, in gentle tone which did not belong to him.

Certainly, in the midst of her thinking and worrying, this was not something the girl had expected to hear. Upon hearing his words, Chihiro audibly gasped, unable to keep herself from expressing her surprise. Blinking once at him, Chihiro crossed the distance between them in a few quick steps and threw her arms around him, showing just how glad she was to see him. The boy smiled at her as warmly as he could muster, wanting to keep up his charade.

Although, he had to admit, he was having a hard time of it.

****

**_For all that this girl is someone that provokes some sort of…strange feeling…from me, she is still merely a human._** He found himself thinking through the now almost gritting smile, threatening to reveal its true nature. **_A fragile human; a pawn…someone I could discard of anytime I wish to. _**

**_But not before I find out why I feel so…so strange around her. _******

********

**_Because I can't have her ruining my plans now, can I?_******

Face buried in the clothes of the boy who looked like an exact replica of Haku, Chihiro was not able to see the sinister grin on his face.

Nor could she tell, despite appearances, just how different the two were from one another.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**_Sun…sunlight?_**

Opening his eyes slightly, the boy almost went blind at the long forgotten sight of the bright rays of sunlight shinning down upon him, drying his wet clothes and warming him up at the same time. 

Moaning slightly from stiffness, he turned himself around. Feeling the warmth of the sun on his back, he tried again to take in his surroundings—carpets made of blades of shimmering green grass, wet from yesterday's rain, and lush trees made up the thick forest which he was currently in. Overhead, the sky was clear and blue, promising a beautiful, while the sun shone brightly upon everything below, as if smiling upon them. Birds greeted one another in their song-speech; the quietness of his surroundings and the position of the rising sun telling his sharp instincts that it was early in the start of a new day.

Puzzlement was evident on the young man's face as his eyes searched his surroundings and found nothing even close to familiar. Standing up, the river spirit began to walk around almost fervently, desperate to find something which would tell him where he was and what was going on. Somehow finding his way out of the forest, he finally stopped short suddenly in his mad dash at the edge of the land filled with thick trees—at a place whose existence was long forgotten by its residential humans. 

The dark, dusky tunnel filled his vision, sending him feelings which completely contrasted that given off by the warmth of the sun. Beyond the tunnel, strong magics could be felt through the air, and the smell of a magical storm that he was so familiar with was thick. Taking all this in, Haku felt his eyes widen in shock as he remember something Chihiro had told him, years ago…about how her family had stumbled upon a dark tunnel and had ventured into it, which had led to his world. A tunnel which connected the two world…and he was on the side where there was no magic. 

He was in the humans' world.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She did not know how long they stayed like that, with her embracing him tightly, head buried right underneath his chin—and him just standing there, almost as if becoming more stiffened more with every passing moment. 

****

**_"Listen to your heart…"_******

**_Huh?_** Chihiro thought to herself in surprise_. **It's that voice again! The voice I heard just before I came back to the Majou no Sekai…the one that had guided me here!**_****

For a moment, the surprise and joy at being reunited with Haku again subsided a bit, and Chihiro suddenly had the strangest feeling that she was being blinded to the truth…that something was not right. 

In her mind's eye, the hairtie that bonded her with the land of the spirits flashed a bright pink, as if clearing her inner visions—and Chihiro was able to see the dark evil of the aura which shrouded the entire room, visible in spite of the darkness that has covered the entire spirit world. Gasping, Chihiro's eyes snapped opened and she looked up quickly, to the surprise of her host.

Just in time to catch a glimpse of that sinister grin and the wrongness evident in those eerily glowing blue eyes that inflicted fear over her entire being. 

Jumping back from him, Chihiro found herself backing away unconsciously from the boy as he slowly advanced toward her trembling form.

**_This can't be…he can't be Haku_**_._ Chihiro thought to herself as she to unconsciously slowly back away from the boy before her. **_But…but what if he really is Haku? What if he had changed, or this is who he's always been? What if the Haku I knew…or thought I knew…was only someone I had made up in my mind, to help ease the hard times? _**

"Why are you so afraid of me, Chihiro? I thought you would be glad to be by my side…after all," he grinned menacingly, "you even showed me yourself just how glad you were to be here with me, just a little while ago, remember?"

Hearing his voice, which now matched his maliciously sneering eyes, Chihiro found herself wanting to scream. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Touching the barrier cautiously, Haku's suspicions were confirmed when he found himself being thrown back from the barrier; magic the color of blue formed tentacle-like whips lashed out at him, drawing blood when on struck his arm.

Hissing in pain, the silver dragon growled as he flipped himself up from his fallen position, seizing up the impenetrable barrier which stood before him firmly, as if mocking him.

**_There has to be a way in!_** He thought in frustration_. **I got out, did I? That means there has a be a way in again…**_

Looking up at the sky, the river spirit realized with a start that the clear-blue sky was starting to darken despite the fact that it was still early in the start of a new day. Unnaturally thick clouds he was too familiar with were making their presence known in the humans' world, slowly but surely covering up the beautiful sky. Seeing this, Haku once again set him mind back to business, determined to get back to the other side of the barrier before the darkness swallows up both worlds…permanently. 

**_Looks like what Yu-Baaba said is coming true…the destruction in our world is finally taking a toll on theirs too. And at the rate it's happening… _******

********

**_I've got to get back to the other side…and fast…_******

********

**_Especially if Chihiro is there._******

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Weariness was evident in her eyes, as was tenseness in the way her body had stiffened upon hearing his voice. Seeing how he had provoked such reactions from her, the boy who had rescued Chihiro could not keep his face from twisting into an ugly sneer as he continued his advance on her. 

Try though she might to convince herself to accept the 'reality-Haku' before her, Chihiro still could not believe that the tender boy she knew…the gentle boy she _loves_…was the cold-blooded monster standing before her. **_He…he just _**cannot**_ be Haku!_**her mind screamed, although the girl still felt uncertain._ **If he really is Haku…why do I feel so…so uncomfortable around him? Why does he seem to be so…so different? So forced in everything he does, in every kind word he says? The Haku that I know is not like that…is he?**_****

**_Who…who are you…?_******

Suddenly, Chihiro found herself cold from fear…fear for this stranger who bore such a resemblance to her gentle friend, whom she had come searching for.

And, at the same time, found herself backed up against a wall. 

However, as the undeniable fear began to set its roots within her heart, hesitation gripped and froze her mind as the girl stood staring at the familiar yet strange figure before her.

**_But…but what if he _**is**_ Haku? What if the years had changed him even more than they have changed _**me**_, and this is who he has become? _**

**_There's just something so cold and…and cruel about him. Could this be…is this who Haku really is? Is he really so fake and cold?_******

Somehow, as much as she told herself that she had to face and accept whatever harshness reality threw at her, Chihiro could not even begin to force herself to believe that Haku…_her_ Haku…could be this cold stranger that stood before her at the moment. Yet at the same time, as the difference between the boy and the Haku she remembers exist, so do their similarities. Who's to say how much he's changed, seeing how much she herself had unknowingly changed also? With so many possibilities, and so much on the line, Chihiro found herself frozen to the ground, unsure and afraid in ways that she had not been for years.

****

**_Haku…please…wherever you are…help me…_**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**_"Haku…please…wherever you are…help me…"_******

**_Chihiro!_** He thought to himself frantically**_. What…what's going on? Hang in there…I'm coming for you, Chihiro…just hang on…._**

Somehow certain that the little girl whom he had found constantly invading his thoughts was on the other side of the tunnel, Haku felt strength and resolve in him that he himself did not know he possessed. Throwing himself with all his might against the unyielding barrier, Haku yelled as loudly as his could from the physical pain inflicted upon him by the magical wall and the emotional pain of the reality that his beloved girl was suffering and he might not make it there to help her in time. 

"CHIHIRO!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whoa…bad ending! LoL…gomen ne, couldn't think of anything else to write for it :D But that's okiee…wow…another one down (not to mention a Chihiro/Haku chappie too, although they're apart!), and another one closer to the end ^^* 

I guess another thing I should clearify/apologize for is last chappie…ppl, they haven't met yet…gotcha :P LoL…man, I tried to drop hints, but obviously I'm not as good at that as I thought I was, seeing how many of you thought they were together. My bad…^^;; But at least you know where they each are now, rite?? Dunt worrie…I dunt wanna keep them apart long…next chappie, next chappie…although I might as well mention in here…their reunion would also mean that the end is VERY near ^^*

Hehehe…that part with Chihiro and "Fake Haku" (for a lack of a better name…for now…) hugging was for you, Andiavas~! Remember what you said when you reviewed awhile ago, when you 'pushed the Haku/Chihiro dolls together in a smashing hug'?? Hehehe…they're not together just yet, so they couldn't hug…so I had a fake do the job for Haku…just thought I'd tell ya here thou, in case anyone decides to read this ^^;;

The usual, criticism, comments n' test answers (ooo…preferably that one! Social or Chemistry 30 please! ^^;;) are most welcomed~! Hopefully I can get da next chappie out soon, ne??

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	10. Barrier

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

***Characters' thoughts in BOLD~!!***

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 9 – Barrier**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A loud "**bang**" could be heard echoing throughout the storm-ridden Majou no Sekai; the residents within it could feel their land tremble, as if the earth itself was hit by a great impact. For a moment, a bright green light illuminated the whole sky, filling every corner of the unnaturally darkened land with its beams before giving way to darkness once more.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Chihiro flung open the forbidding-looking doors of the dark room and ran as quickly as she could. Although distracted by the brightness, it took but a moment for the being which bore Haku's physical form to realize what had happened, and another to register the fact that his prey was getting away. Cursing underneath his breath, he too turned to give chase after the girl. As he began to head toward the direction Chihiro had escaped in, he smiled cruelly and decided to take his time in order to give her a head start, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he caught up with her. 

**This game of "cat and mouse" will be amusing enough to pass up some time.** He thought to himself as he stalked after the escaping girl. **Meanwhile, just make sure that you **remain** amusing to me…otherwise I might just decide to dispose of you, my little one.**

Deciding it was time to put the pressure on the escaping girl to further enhance the stakes of this little "game", the nameless being started to sprout black-scaled wings out of his back—the wings of a dragon—and began to descend after his prey. However, even as he gained ground on her—and even as the thought of catching and toying with his spoils crossed his mind—something seemed to nag at the back of his mind, and tugged at his long forgotten heart. 

**Somehow…this rather…**unpleasant**…feeling… **

Momentarily stopping in his flight and shaking his head as if to clear it of idle thoughts, his eyes flashed an angry bright blue as lightening of the corresponding color cut across the storm-ridden skies outside the large windows that seemed to make up the entire structure they were in. Not understanding the conflicting thoughts he kept having about the girl, and the overall…strangeness…she seem to be able to incite from him whenever he was around her—the strangeness known as emotions—he decided that he would end their game quickly and settle down to wait with her tied up. After all…he will get what he wants, either way. Better to keep her under constrains to prevent her from…from bewitching him. Mind made up, he once again flexed his great wings and continued on the girl's trail, keeping taps on her by tracing her strangely warm aura which was kept hidden by the castle walls. That is, kept hidden from all but himself and another, whom he found could not hide the girl from even if he had tried.

**He will come for her…I can feel it.**

**He will come for her…and I will finish them both.**

**Then I can truly be free of all hindrances.**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The impact with which he threw himself against the magical barrier seemed to have done much more damage to him than to it: although the forbidding fire-like barrier glowed blue—the color of the magic fueling it—it held firmly, still blocking the way between the two worlds. Trying to get up from where he was flung back by the barrier, Haku could barely keep himself from crying out in pain as blood gushed forth from his severely damaged shoulder and the thousand aches from his body voiced their complains together. 

**Ow…** Clutching his bleeding shoulder in attempt to stop the steady blood flow, Haku tried unsuccessfully to get up from his position on the ground by the tress, a fairly good distance from the barrier itself. Unable to get up, the river spirit started to called on his magic to support him when blue tentacles shot forth from the barrier, striking the injured dragon. Unable to defend himself and unable to get away in his current condition, the young man could only continue his grip on his wounded arm as the tentacles continued their merciless whipping on him, drawing blood and sending volts of magic-shocks wherever they touched his skin.

**This…this might be the end for me…**

Closing his eyes painfully from both physical pain and emotional turmoil, everything seemed to fade to black as an image of a smiling Chihiro—surprisingly no longer a child, despite the fact that he has not seen her for seven years—crossed the dragon's mind, putting it more at peace. 

**Chihiro…I'm sorry I couldn't get to you…I had wanted…so badly…to see you…just one more time…**

Something inside of him rebelled against his giving up. However, in his weakened state Yu-Baaba's former witch apprentice could only summon enough strength to open his eyes—just in time to see the glowing tentacles all gather into one large strand in preparation for a last strike meant to be his death blow…

When suddenly, the entire forest itself glowed brightly and something enveloped in its brownish-green light flashed across Haku's field of vision, shielding him and saving him from the tentacles' touch of death. Unable to reach the injured dragon, the collected tentacle seemed to understand its power was outclasses and retreated back to blend in and become part of the barrier once again.

**Wha..?**

"Don't try to get up yet…you're pretty badly hurt, young man." His rescuer said to him sternly, yet kindly at the same time. Obedient partly because he was in too much pain to be able to move anyhow, Haku closed his eyes once again as he felt the warmth of the stranger's magic healing him, sealing his wounds and stopping his pains. When he opened his eyes again, he was completely healed. He touched a newly mended pink scar on his right arm gently, where he had been hurt particularly badly, and was surprised to find it still warm.

"You must give it time to heal, you know. Even the strongest magic cannot do everything for you." The old man said to him, taking a seat beside Haku on the ground. "There are things magic cannot provide for you, simply because there are things magic does not understand…do you know what I am saying to you?"

Looking at the old man oddly, Haku found himself understanding what this strange magical being, who came out of nowhere, was telling him. Nodding mutely, the two sat together in silence for awhile, enjoying their break from fighting, when Haku decided to speak up.

"It's certainly a strange thing to say to someone you just met sir, don't you think?" the young dragon acquired of his rescuer. A little surprised already by what this strange man was telling him, the river spirit was even more surprised when his companion started to laugh—a full-throated laugh so loud it was as if the whole forest was laughing, enjoying in the sorcerer's merriment. Getting himself under control, the aged man with dark green hair and earth-brown eyes turned towards the young man, who almost looked as if he was in a state of shock.

"Ah…I see you do not remember me then, young Kohaku?" he laughed at the young man's astonished and confused expression. "Remember the first creature who told you of the Majou no Sekai…all those years ago, when you first lost your home and had nowhere to return to?" 

Looking at him with wide eyes, Haku found that he could remember, from so long ago. Chuckling at the dragon's wordlessness, the old sorcerer continued, helping the stunned young man remember. 

"I was the one who told you to seek shelter with Yu-Baaba, my former wife before became overly consumed by her money and gold…before she lost sight of what's important. Remember now?"

Nodding almost viciously, like a young boy eager to answer the question, Haku managed to stutter out the simple answer. "You…you're Kodama!" 

Delighted, the old spirit of the forest laughed, his laugh echoed by the greenery surrounding them. "Ay, my lad, you certainly haven't changed one bit now, have you?" looking at Haku fondly, his voice took on a more serious tone. "However, the stories I'd heard about you all speak differently. Care to explain them to me, my boy?"

Haku held up his hands and stared at them, frowning in concentration. Although he was curious as to what the young man was doing, Kodamakept his silence, giving the young river spirit a chance to choose his own timing. The leaves rustled in the background against the cool breeze, warning of the on-coming storm even as the skies continued to darken and the temperature in the air began to drop drastically. Finally, Haku spoke up, voice small.

"The stories you heard…were probably true." He said sadly, ashamed of the person he had been, the misguided way he had behaved. "However…" 

Leaving his sentence to trail, the dragon suddenly looked up at the old man and smiled—a bright, happy smile, cheerful as if the clouds had parted to give way to the sunshine of his happiness. Taken aback at the sudden display of emotion on the usually stoic youth's face—even when he had first met the river spirit, when he had first lost his home, the only emotions one could feel from him were sadness and anger…but to see him so happy, especially to see him feel so strongly about it that he would dare display it?—Kodamacouldn't help but wonder what had happened to the boy to make such an acknowledgeable difference in him. 

"But I'm different now." Haku said resolutely. "It's no secret that there are many mistakes I've made in the past which I cannot undo…but…for all the things I can make up for—for all the difference that I can make—I want to. I want to be able to make them…to make up for what wrongs I had done in the past. Because I know now…I know…" 

Face determined and earnest looking, the silver dragon looked the forest spirit straight in the eye without flinching. "I know who I am now…I understand that there is a reason for my existence—that I am wanted in this world—…and I'm not about to let my chance to live and make a difference slip from my fingers again. I've seen what's important…to me…and I've promise to protect…her…and I'm going to keep my promise." 

For a moment, silence hung in the air between the two spirits, the only sounds disturbing them were the constant howling of the winds, growing stronger by the minute, and the rustling of the leaves in synch with the rhythm of the wind. A grin appeared slowly on Kodama's face as he suddenly stood up, surprising and taking the serious looking Haku with him.

"That's the way, my boy!" the old forest spirit cried, looking as proud as he sounded. "That's what I was trying to tell you, earlier! You really do understand!" Jumping around with Haku in circles and ignoring the sounds of thunder in the distance, the old man continued to show his glee even as a confused Haku decided to speak up.

"Wha…what do you mean?" the young man asked uncertainly.

"The things magic cannot provide for you…things magic cannot understand…don't tell me you don't even realize what an important lesson you've already taught yourself…or your 'lady of promises' has taught you." Eyes twinkling at the blush appearing on Haku's face, Kodamasobered down a bit, tone taking on a more serious edge now. "You must understand this…or you'll be overcomed by your own magic and forget who you really are…just like Yu-Baaba had done." 

Looking at the darkening skies with a faraway looking on his saddened face, he continued. 

"Yu-Baaba…she wasn't always the way you probably only know her as…wasn't nearly as cruel or as greedy, thinking of herself and her money alone. She was a caring person with a warm heart…a person that I fell in love with." His eyes grew distant, as if he was looking not at Haku or the sky, but at faraway memories…memories of a happier time. "We were so happy together! So carefree of whatever happened to us…because it didn't matter, you see. As long as we were together, we had everything we needed. But as her powers grew, she became consumed by her magic…and what she could accomplish with them. Little by little, it ate away at her…her magic became her sole reason for existence—it was as if little else mattered but what her magic could bring her. It hurt me deeply…to see her like that, being controlled unknowingly by powers that she herself possessed…utilized by powers that she harnessed."

Kodama blinked, and Haku could see tears escaping from the old man's eyes reflection the hurt in his heart. 

"I tried…I tried to talk to her. To confront her about what was happening…tried to help her. But she wouldn't have any of it. She accused me of being jealous of her magics; of denying her of her source of happiness…it pained me, hearing her say that. But there was nothing I could do—I wasn't powerful enough to stop her, nor would I have done anything to hurt her. So I could only sit by and watch as her magic grew more powerful, and watch her grow more vain and more unlike herself…until the point when she decided I was a hindrance in her newly build world.

"So she tricked me into going on the train—mind you, it did run two-way, back then…from the Majou no Sekai to the humans' world, actually. Oh but this was years ago, before I had met you, right here in the humans' world. Anyhow…she just came up to me one day, as if nothing had changed between us…as if she was back to her old self again. I could barely believe my eyes, stupid fool I was." He turned his piercing gaze on Haku, who could not help but flinch a bit at the regret and bitterness in the old man's voice. "We rode the train together to 'visit Zeniiba', along with the spirits of those innocent and kind humans who had passed on—those who were granted the chance of spending their eternity as a part of the world of spirits, in reward of their good behavior during their lifetime. When we didn't get off until we reached the gate separating the humans' and the spirit world, I was getting a little worried…but by the time I had figured out what she had planned to do, it was already too late. As she got back onto the train, she drained all those innocent spirits' energy, blackening their very soul with her stained purpose and leaving them with barely any magic to keep them in existence. Before I could even attempt to stop her, she used the drained energy to seal the Gate which separated the two worlds to all means of magical traveling, and preventing me from ever returning to the Majou no Sekai." Silence once again took its reign between the two stranded spirits, both of them lost in his own thoughts. His expression darkening once again to match the mood of the black skies above, Kodama spoke again to finish his tale. 

"After that, to even further isolate herself from those who would try and stop her, she forbidded the train from ever making its way to the Aburaya again. And so, since then, I've heard that she has sat in her 'castle' to rule over the Majou no Sekai mercilessly, growing more and more into this person who cared for nothing but herself and her own selfish ambitions." 

Long moments passed, with the two spirits silently thinking his own thoughts. Sensing that his companion was still lost in his painful memories, Haku decided it was time to break the silence. 

"But people do change, Kodama." He said quietly, just for the two of them to hear. Startled, the old spirit of the forest looked at the young man beside him, as if seeing him for the first time. Turning to face him also, Haku continued with a serious look on his face.

"People change…over time, we all learn lessons about life…we learn from the mistakes that we make, and become better from them. She was the one who taught me." Blushing as he noticed that he had somehow linked to Chihiro again, he continued before he got lost in his thoughts of her again. "She taught me that I mustn't close my mind and my heart off and give up merely because the situation looks bad, or because I feel that I can't change. But rather, she taught me that people are always changing—always growing better—as time goes on, and as they make mistakes, because we could take those mistakes and turn them into lessons…lessons which can shape who we are, or who we become. You'd be surprised," the dragon said with an encouraging smile, "at how much Yu-Baaba has changed. Perhaps…just perhaps…you are not the only one who regret what happened in the past, all those years ago, ne Kodama?"

Taking a moment to register what the young man before him was telling him, the old forest spirit found himself smiling back at the confident-looking river spirit before him, almost shinning in the radiance of his smile and the happiness he had within. Nodding, just once, and turning in silent agreement, Kodama thought to himself as the two of them began to walk towards the tunnel-gate which lead to the Majou no Sekai. **You're saying…perhaps it's time to put the past behind us and look toward the future, ne young one? You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear those words, if only to confirm how I feel…if only to give me the strength I need to face her again…**

They stopped, inches from the barrier which had almost brought about Haku's doom, just a short while ago. Taking a deep breath, his newly healed wounds almost screaming at him, reminding him of the punishment he had just recently been through, Haku prepared himself for whatever that was to come at him, thinking only of the girl on the other side…the girl who was waiting for him to keep his promise of protecting her forever.

"Do not be afraid." Kodama spoke softly, his eyes glowing in the brown-green of his magic. "Never before has this been attempted; never before has a spirit been able to break through the Gate leading to the Majou no Sekai. But there is one way to break through the combined might of the barrier and Yu-Baaba's Gate…"

Nodding, his own eyes glowing the emerald green of his magic, Haku found that he already understood what the old man was trying to tell him. 

"We can break through the barrier…if our emotions for those on the other side are strong enough…if these emotions are important enough to us, then we will be able to pass through."

As one, the two spirits pushed against the brightly glowing barrier, glowing streaks of their own magic themselves, each thinking of his own object of affection and reason for returning to the Majou no Sekai.

**Chihiro…no matter what…I will protect you.**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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Waa…a whole chappie of Haku~! (and well…Kodama…but still, Haku~!!) ^^* Sorry it took so long for me to get this chappie out…(*puppy eyes* c'mon ppl…I made up for that by making this chappie exceptionally long~!) but was it worth the wait?? (Hopefully I'll get a 'yes' for an answer here~!!) I didn't wanna just throw Haku back in the Majou no Sekai without something happening to him in the humans' world…and thus the birth of this…rather unusual chappie XD 

**If thou ask't for it, thou shalt receive…rite??** XP (Hehehe…gomen minna~! All the Hamlet/Shakespeare we've been doing in English lately is getting to me~!!) LoL…I think I should really dedicate the Kodamastory involving the train to **nefarious vixen**, since she was the one that was asking about it :D So that was for you~!! I was thinking about how I could tie a train into this ficcy…and so I put in my first take on the "one-way express" question…to be honest, I never even thought about it till you asked ^^;; But anyhow~!! Your timing was good too ^^* I was stuck wiv my "hmm…what should happen in the humans' world?", and along came your review…so I stuck that in here Hopefully, you liked this theory~!

**Kodama** (name literally meaning "spirit of tress") may seem, at first, juss a tad too animated for some ppl…I just thought that, with Yu-Baaba being so serious most of the time, she needed someone more fun to balance her out, ya know? LoL…gomen ne, for making him too unrealistic/animated-ish (great…now I'm making up my own words again…!) ^^*

Ahh…ya see why I like reviews so much?? You guys gimme the best ideas :P Anyways…critics, comments n' anything else much much welcomed~! Feel free to terrorize my teachers into not giving me any homework and/or canceling some of those overly-long concerts/shows/performances that they seem to like to all pile together, and somehow help me get over my really bad cold…and I'll be glad to update as soon as possible~!! LoL…in any case…just keep in mind it's "as soon as possible" :D

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*

ps: on a last note…**Daremo**…*scratches her head confusedly* I didn't think I was giving away anything when I was writing my AN last time…actually, I do take extra care that I dunt give away anything, to make life more interesting… *shrugs* But if you think I did, gomen nasai~! ^^* I'll try to not do it again, alrito?


	11. Returning

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

***as usual, characters' thoughts in BOLD XD***

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 10 – Return **

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**"Why do you wish to return?"**

Haku opened his eyes slowly at the sound of the voice.  Blinking rapidly, he jumped up in surprise at the misty scenery around him.  

**Mi…mist?**  He thought to himself wildly, looking around himself.  **Where…where am I?  Wasn't I just in the humans' world?**  

Pausing in his frantic looking, Haku realized that he was alone. **Kodama!  Where did he go?  The last thing I remember was standing with him before the barrier…if I was with him and he's not here…then how in the world did **I** get here?  **

Before he could ask any more questions or even attempt to search for an answer, however, a voice came back out of the nothingness to question him once again.

**"Why do you wish to return to a place on the brink of destruction?  Why do you wish to go back to a place which had enslaved you and offered you nothing in return?  Does a simple promise—a childhood memory—really hold enough power to draw you toward your own destruction?  Are you ready to truly forgive all who had used you in your abandoned past?"**

**For an unseen voice, you sure ask a lot of questions**.  Haku thought to himself wryly before thinking about what he was asked.  Reassuming his frantic surveillance of his surroundings, Haku discovered that he still could not see the source of the voice anywhere…just endless lands of mist.  Sighing, he decided to return to the easier task at hand and go along with the voice…for now.  However, the questions themselves puzzled him…as did the familiarity of the voice.

Thinking about what the unseen voice was asking him, Haku frowned in thought, unsure of how to answer a question he had never even considered before.  

**A place which offered me nothing…a place which used me…  **

Memories of the almost-forgotten past came back to haunt him: memories of his homeland—his river—being filled in to make way for "civilization" and lost to him for all eternity; memories of the grief and sadness he had felt, seeing this…feeling this.  Memories of being lost, having nowhere to return to, no place to call home…and memories of arriving at the entrance of the great bathhouse Aburaya—of initially being rejected by the greedy workers there because he had no money to offer them, then eventually not only accepted, but feared by them, as he became the bathhouse mistress and witch's disciple and secret servant.    

Memories of anger, of hatred…

…of loneliness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You and I are both aware that you cannot run forever, my little pet." The being which bore Haku's form cooed to the girl before him tauntingly.  They were on the rooftop of the floating glass castle; below them stretched leagues of water as far as the eye could see, the once green and fertile Majou no Sekai covered by the dark and agitated waters.  

Chihiro felt her feet backing away from her captor, until she contacted something hard and solid with her retreating back.  Grimly, she winced, thinking: **He was right—I just ran out of running room.**  Taking a deep, staggered breath, the girl prepared herself to face this being, and whatever he—it?—was about to throw at her.  A thought crossed her mind again briefly, earlier ignored out of fear of breaking her running momentum.  Still trying to recover from her long run, Chihiro decided to speak for her curiosity—at least she'll be able to learn more about the creature before he kills her!

"What do you want from me?" the girl panted, out of breath.  "What's the point of rescuing me, then toying with me?  There is nothing I can give you, otherwise you would've forced it from me already!  Am I right?  Tell me why you won't just kill me and have it over with!" 

The being stared at her, motionless—his great black wings had stopped its flapping, setting its master gently on the glass roof-top; his normally sky blue eyes seemed surprised, almost as if stung by her question.  Chihiro frowned as her rigid stance slowly relaxed and her anger slipped away, the girl too deep in thought and too perplexed to notice.  Her captor's earlier smirk was replaced by a look of bafflement, as if he too, wondered the same thing she was asking him—but could offer neither her or himself any answers.  They just stood there, strides away from one another, staring.  After a moment longer of frowning, Chihiro was surprised to find that she was no longer afraid of him.  Instead, what she found in replacement of her earlier fear was…concern…concern for this being, who so resembled her Haku.  Looking, for the first time, into the depths of those paling blue eyes, the girl found herself looking not at this black-haired stranger who looked like the boy whom she had come to seek, but at the boy himself.  The…feeling…radiating from both the 'Hakus'—right down to the tingling sense of confusion, the almost shy hesitation and the hint of warmth that she felt from him…them…when she first met Haku all those years ago—was so uncanny that the girl could not help but wonder at the similarities.

It was with a start that the girl realized she had somehow begun to think of her gentle Haku and this violent, malicious being who had taken Haku's form as one and the same person.  Shaking her head as if to clear up her thoughts, she spoke again, as much to search for an answer as to disturb herself from falling into her idle thoughts.

"Just…who are you?" she asked him, softly but loud enough for the both of them to hear.  The black-haired 'Haku' closed his eyes, as if to block out his pain.  Even as she watched him—him who was **not** Haku, she was surprised to have to remind herself—she felt as if something was gripping her heart…something painful that made her heart long to go to the creature before her, to comfort him.  

She began to walk toward him, unafraid and concerned only for him.

"STOP!" he suddenly screamed, halting the surprised girl in her tracks.  His eyes were wavering from a demonic red to the bright blue of his magic.  "Don't come any closer to me!  What did you do to me?  What kind of…of witch are you?!" 

Taking a step back involuntarily, Chihiro watched in horror as the being's great black wings seemed to flare into life, flapping madly.  Suddenly, they flashed brightly once—and disappeared.  As the sudden harsh light disappeared, the girl uncovered her eyes and saw the now wingless sorcerer clutching his head in intense pain, as if battling demons within his very soul.  She took a deep breath and bit her lower lip—and continued her walk toward him.

"I said STAY AWAY!" he screamed again, this time throwing blue fire—the fire of magic—at her even as lighting of the same color flashed outside, dangerously close to where they were.  

This time, Chihiro didn't falter in her steps even as the blue colored magic-fire came rushing towards her, closing the distance between them fast.

**Call me crazy.**  The girl thought grimly as she continued in her steps, sure and firm.  **I really don't know why I'm doing this…why I'm not stopping even though you intend to do me harm.  But…somehow…  Something's telling me that I shouldn't be afraid of you…that there's no need to fear you—you who are so alike with my Haku—because I know that he would never hurt me****.**

Chihiro looked toward creature clutching his head on the ground, smiling at the being who could've been Haku himself as he looked at her with widened eyes, surprise written clearly across his face.    

She straight ahead, only to meet the bright blue lights radiating from the magic fire…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Haku blinked, feeling his anger and long-forgotten hatred begin to awaken and rise up within him once again, blinding the dragon to everything he learned to hold dear to his heart—until his mind saw and was caught in the image of a girl.  

Time seemed to freeze for the young dragon as he stared at the image of the girl, so life-like and ever so close to him, as if he could reach out and touch her.  It was the same girl he had met seven years ago, only the difference of time during which they had been separated was evident in the girl's form.  Physically more mature and more graceful than he ever remembered her to be, the river spirit noted that physical growth was not the only difference in her.  A tender smile graced her features; caught in the spell of her smile, Haku looked into her eyes…those soft, gentle honey-brown eyes which once held confusion and doubt now looked back at him tenderly, full of confidence, holding in them kindness and understanding one so young would not be expected to be capable of.  Drawn towards his beloved, even though she was but an image of his own mind, the dragon could not resist but move closer to her…to reach out and hold her in his arms.  Somehow, for some strange, indescribable reason, he felt himself unable to look away from her…unable to look away from her eyes—eyes which shone which a deep, untouchable emotion…  

Eyes which shone with her love for him.  

Stopping just before her, afraid to hold her out of fear of the possibility of her vanishing right before him, Haku smiled, feeling all his building anger and hatred disappear into thin air even quicker than they had appeared.  Closing his eyes, his heart and mind came to a resolution at once.  

**I want to return there…**  he thought in answer to his unseen questioner.  **I want to return there, because **she** is there.**

**Because it doesn't matter what happened in the past, nor does it matter who we were in the past.  The people we were…the way we had been…she was able to look past that.       **

**I want to return there…so I can be with her.**

**Because I know…I **know** I'm willing to do anything for her…to be with her…to see her, one more time.**

**And because I…**

Smiling ever so gently as the young dragon finally came to a conclusion to his feelings for the girl whom he constantly thought of since their meeting all those years ago, Haku felt his heartbeat quicken and the air around him heat up as he finally admitted his emotions for her.

**Because I'm in love with her.**

The whiteness of the mists flashed a bright pink around him, just once.  All Haku saw was the image of his beloved girl, smiling and holding her arms out to him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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Man, I luv Haku chappies…:D  It's kinda funny…I find them (both Haku and Chihiro chappies, actually…no wonder I wrote this one so quickly!) so much easier to write than chappies with other characters in it. *shrugs* I have no idea why…I guess that's just the way it works wiv me n' my strange writing, eh? ^^

Anyhow…sorry for this rather short chappie~!  (well…at least in comparison to the last chappie ^^)  But with grad and everything at the moment… XP  (- how I feel at da moment~!!)  I **had** to write a new chappie…but time wunt lemme write it any longer n.n  Gomen ne~!!  Demo…was it alrite enough to last a week, or until the next update??

Now the real action starts~!   But…*clamping a hand over my own mouth* Ya just gotta wait for da next chappie XD  So with everything that's happing…well, happening (!) this week…I'm thanking you guys here in advance for your patience~!!

Well…ya know the routine ^^  Crits n' comments…the more I get, the faster I write…if only cuz I'd put myself on the guilt trip and write till my eyes are closing on their own…  I mean, how can I not, when you wonderful ppl out there are actually *sobs* reading my ficcy~!!   Until my next update then :P

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	12. Stage

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

**As usual…characters' thinking are all done in BOLD…enjoy!! XD**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 11 ~ Stage**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blue flames of magic were coming for her.  Feeling the intense heat reaching towards her with its hungry fingers, Chihiro put up her arms as if to shield herself and closed her eyes, expecting the worst.  **Haku…I wonder if you know…if you'll ever know…that I came here to find you.  I hope you're all right.  I'm sorry I wasn't able to meet with you…**

Daring to squeak one eye open to watch her doom, Chihiro braced herself to be engulfed by the ravenous flames when suddenly, a strangled voice shouted out, startling the girl.

"Stop!" the being who held Haku's image yelled.  Tears were streaming down from the young man's face as he struggled with himself.  The blue fire disappeared into thin air, barely inches from her face.  Surprised and relieved that her brush with death had been just that—a brush—the exhausted girl fell on her knees.  Haku's fake was taking quick, sharp breaths in attempt to steady his nerves.

**What the hell am I doing?!**He thought, frustrated and pained by his own internal struggle**_.  _I should be glad to be rid of her…and I just saved her life!  Why?!  Why can't I kill her?!  Why can't I stand to see her hurt?!**

"Wha…" he rasped at the astonished girl, not far from where he sat on the cold ground.  "What…what kind of power do you have over me?  What…what did you do to me?!  Why…why can't I kill you?!" 

Watching him claw at his own head and scream made her heart ache.  Determined to help him for reasons beyond herself, Chihiro picked herself up from where she had dropped on the ground and began to walk towards the boy again.

"Don…don't come near me!" he cried, frightened at himself and at her.  Seeing that she wasn't going to listen to him, he prepared to throw his magic-fire at her again—but found that he could not even begin to make an attempt to hurt her.  An immortal sorcerer—more powerful than any other spirit in his time—and he couldn't even hurt a single insignificant mortal?!  The idea itself was outrageous!  Yet, as the nameless being looked towards the still-approaching girl with a determined expression on her face, he found that he honestly could not bring any harm to her.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She said evenly, her eyes soft and gentle.  "Please…let me help you…let me help ease your pain.  Just tell me what I can do to help…"

She knelt down before him, holding out her empty hands in a giving gesture, smiling gently.  He stared at her hands, and then her face…and found himself trusting this strange mortal whom he had captured and intended to use as bait to lure his other target into falling into his trap.  Reaching out hesitatingly, his eyes locked on her warm honey-colored ones, he suddenly screamed in pain and agony as a voice screamed in his head, making him freeze.  A voice so terrible that he could not have ignored it even if he had tried—his own inner voice…his inner being. 

Time seemed to stand still for the two figures sitting on the cold glass roof as the young man's eyes went blank under his clutching arms—blank, and staring into himself. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**The times have certainly changed greatly.**Thought Kodama grimly as he took in his surroundings.  It has been years—no, probably centuries—since he last set foot in the Majou no Sekai.  The many buildings that had been set up over the said time period, drenched in rain and ruined as most may be, were still far more than what he had expected to meet his eyes—than what he remember existed.

Looking around the empty flat surface where he now sat, Kodama realized that he was alone.  

**Now that can't be right.**The old spirit thought with a touch of worry.  **If I made it back here, then young Kohaku must have also come back…but where is he?  **

**Could it be possible that whatever or whoever had left me here had brought him to a different place?  One where he is supposed to be?   **

**Perhaps then…that means I also have a reason for being here.**

Wincing as he got up from where he had apparently been dumped onto the cold and rain-washed hard ground, stiff and worried for the young river spirit, Kodama heard his own breath catch in his throat as he realized where exactly it was that he stood—and suddenly felt weak and faint.

He was on the roof of the Aburaya: the one place where he most wanted to be, and the one place where he was least prepared to be.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Yu-Baaba, what's the matter?" Rin asked, trying to keep the worry she felt for the suddenly pale witch out of her voice.  However, quiet though the room may be, the owner of the Aburaya bathhouse did not seem to hear her.  

The others, having noticed the lack of response, also turned in the witch's direction, concerned.  Yu-Baaba stood at one of the many large windows in the luxurious room that was her office, staring unblinkingly out into the darkness.

Getting more worried, the young woman decided to speak again, hoping to get an answer.  "Yu-Baaba?"

Looking startled, the old witch turned around smiled, answering in a carefully guarded tone.  "I'm sorry, Rin.  Did you say something?" 

"Is something the matter, Yu-Baaba?" it was Kamajii who spoke that time, sounding calm for their benefit.  Her mind obviously elsewhere judging from the distant look on her tired face, the old witch shook her head once, simply, and turned her back.

The concern evident on everyone's face grew as they stared at the witch.  It was Zeniiba who decided to question her twin about it.  

"Yu-Baaba," she began.  However, at the sound of her voice—and to everyone's surprise—the mistress of Aburaya suddenly spun around to face them with hints of fear as well as guilt in her eyes.

"He's back." she whispered, looking worried.  "After all this time…he found a way back.  Zeniiba…what am I going to do?  I can't…I can't face him—not like this…not after what I did to him!"  Looking as if the sky had just fallen on her, and, to her shame and to her friends' astonishment, tears began to make their way out of the witch's eyes.  The rest of the great room's occupants could only watch, helpless and too stunned to begin to process exactly what was going on, as the old witch buried her face in her quivering hands.  

Zeniiba went to her twin sister, worry on her face.  "Kodama…?" she ventured, not wanting to upset her suddenly fragile-looking sister any further.  At the mention of thee forest spirit's name, Yu-Baaba turned to face the windows again, her back towards worried expressions.

An almost inaudible sob in the silence that followed was all the answer the witch needed.  Sighing, and looking even more worn than she already was, Zeniiba found that she was at a loss of words.  

**There's nothing I can do…** The witch thought as she stared at her twin, feeling as helpless as the other looked.  **I cannot undo something they had done in the past; cannot untangle the mistake she had made, blinded by her own vanity.  It seems lately that there hasn't been much, if anything, I could do to help with the situations at hand.**

Coming to a conclusion—the only one she could come up with—Zeniiba made her sister look at her.  

"If he is here, then there's no avoiding him: he will come look for you." she said firmly.  "And when he does…you must talk to him."

"I can't…" was the reply, spoken uncharacteristically softly.

"You must." Zeniiba repeated firmly, aware of the stares they were getting from the rest of the room's occupants, uninformed and unaware of what they were talking about.

"He wouldn't understand…"

"Perhaps that is only because you never gave him the chance to understand." came a new voice, male and low, yet gentle and silky at the same time, like the soft sound of a swaying willow. 

All heads but one in the quiet room turned towards the new voice, surprised that someone had walked into the great room unnoticed.  Curious as they were—and not to mention confused about the situation—they kept their wits about them and kept silent, giving this strange man room to explain himself—and to deal with whatever he had obviously come to do…or finish up.  

Yu-Baaba kept her gaze on the window, staring at it but not seeing it at all.  "But what is there to…understand?  What is there to explain other than the fact that I had acted selfishly?"  Swallowing visibly, taking several staggered breaths, the witch willed herself to continue.  Would you…be willing…to listen to me?  To…forgive…me…even after…"

Kodama closed his eyes and smiled—a slow, soft smile that brought relief to Zeniiba's face.  Nodding to his beloved's sister just once, the forest spirit began to walk softly towards the one standing at the window as her twin proceeded to gather the room's staring audience and make for the door with them.  Hearing the soft "thud" of a great door closing behind him, Kodama stopped, just an arm's reach from his long astrayed wife, he spoke again, softly.

"I'm always willing to listen to you, my dearest one…if you would give me to chance to."

Relief flooded into the old witch's heart and brought a smile to her face as tears swarmed her eyes; gladness overtook her worry for all that was wrong with her world, dawning on her like a long-hidden sun suddenly regaining its light.  The mistress of the Aburaya took a deep breath to steady herself as she prepared to apologize as she turned around to face her husband.  However, even as she opened her mouth to apologize, the words seemed to be lost on her lips as she gazed deeply into her husband's eyes—and found a degree of love and understand there that warmed her as she drowned in it.

And suddenly, she was in his arms, sobbing on his chest as she breathed in his refreshing smells of green leaves and grass.  Amidst all her tears, she realized just how much she had missed this man who now held her—this man who was comforting her when she was supposed to be apologizing to him for all her past trickery and lies.  

Her sobbing subsided enough for silence to reclaim the room as its dominion.  The two long-separated spirits stood there, holding onto one another, oblivious for the moment to the currently dying world around them. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**You're falling for the human's little tricks again…don't you know, by now, that all this little witch wants is to hurt you, and take away the power that is rightfully yours?  **

The being who bore Haku's form saw himself sit, motionless, on that glass roof-top, his eyes glassed over, as the mortal girl he had held captive shook his physical shell, looking anxious for him.  For a moment, his hard sky-blue eyes softened as he looked at the worried girl, staring in wonderment and feeling touched that she would be concerned for him.  However, the moment did not last long.  Shearing pain tore at his head, making him want to scream in agony at the mental pain he was inflicting on himself.  His eyes flashed a demonic red as he felt his anger boil over within him, fueled by his pain.  He opened his mouth to scream—but no sound came out.  Clutching his own head as tears streamed down his face, Haku's fake could only watch on as wave after wave of the pain that was not physical hit him, seeming to tear him up on the inside.  

**Why are you letting this happen?**A small voice asked him in his own head, its voice dripping with malice.  The waves of pain seemed to stop…for the moment.  Taking huge breaths as quietly as he could, the nameless being realized the voice he was hearing—the malicious voice that he found disturbing—was none other than his own.  Shuddering at the cruelty in his own voice, he covered his ears in attempt to block it out…but found that he could not.

**You know that you could overpower this…you know that **she** is the one doing this to you.  The cruel voice went on, dripping poison in the shuddering boy's heart with each word it spoke.  Before you let her speak…before she had bewitched you into believing she meant good…you did not suffer the way you are suffering now.  You did not feel pain—no, you did not **know** pain, for there are none who could inflict pain upon you.**

**There were none who could threaten you…so why are you letting this…**human**…hurt you needlessly?**

His hands began to grow numb; holding them out before him, he saw that his hands were soaked with blood—his nails had dug deep into his own flesh.  Looking from his bloody hands to the girl, so far away below him, he felt his anger flaring into life once again—the very anger and hatred that had driven him to create the magical storm over the Majou no Sekai, to destroy it along with everything else he despised.

Along with everything else that brought detestable memories to his mind.

His breathing began to accelerate even as he felt the heat of his anger and hatred pour into his veins, blinding him, fueling his dark magic.  

**If you wanted it to be…your pain could end.**

**If you wanted it to be…you could be the most powerful sorcerer in both worlds, hindered by no one.**

**You just have to make sure that no one is there to hinder you with their lies.**

Holding up his blood-stained hands, his eyes taking on the red coloring that was the demon within him, Haku's fake let out a full throated, animalistic roar as he fell into his physical body and grabbed the girl's throat with his clawed hands.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alrite…I'm not even down writing this chappie yet…but I wunt be happy unless I say this now, so here goes.  If Yu-Baaba sounded wayyyy too whiney for ppl…like she did to me, at the beginning of this chappie…GO…GOMEN NASAI~!  I didn't want her to be all "damsely in distressey" either…but it just turned out to be that way~!  Maybe emotional stress took too much strain on her, and since she's so not used to it she cracked?? O_o  A bit far-fetched for an excuse of an explanation…but that's all I could come up with.  So again…I hope I haven't ruined the fic/her character for you~!! @_@

And while I'm at it…what an unlikely scene for this chappie~!! *shakes head* And why am I still dissing my own work?! x_X  Oh well…I wanted to get the two of them lovely old ppl () back together before anything else happened…otherwise, what's the point of bringing Kodama back to the Majou no Sekai, ne? ^^  And besides…if I can't have some good o' Haku/Chihiro mush in here…I need it to come from a different source, and the two of them were just there, waiting on the sideline XP  Oh yeah…I guess, for those of you that came reading this looking for the "Adventure/Action" genre, I should apologize for making so much of this chappie so mushy…but people, I *did* say "Romance/Action/Adventure" in my ficcy's "genre"…so no burns?? =^^=

Well…(reading word-count) it seems that lately the chappies have been getting longer and longer~!  That's just cuz I can't seem to end them…and the fact that I can't guarantee when the next update is anymore XP  I know, I know…sorry~!  But I can't exactly do badly on my exams cuz of this, now can I??  *squeaks* Only 2 more weeks of skool left to go…and not to mention not very many chappies in this ficcy left to go either~!!!

On a last note: it will be finished before summer starts.  I'll do it even if it kills me…so pls hang around with me and wait for it~!! XD

Crits n' comments…always room for more~!  Bubai~!!  
  
~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	13. Battle

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

**Characters' thinking in BOLD…as usual~! (Although…they dunt seem to think a lot in this chappie…^^;;)**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 12 ~ Battle**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her eyes widened at the abrupt change in her companion; her breath caught in her throat as she watched, surprised and a little frightened, as the once-prone shape on the glass-roof suddenly flared into life.  His head snapped up, as if pulled back by a string, to stare her straight in the eye with his own rage-scarlet ones.  

Chihiro didn't even have the time to scream as Haku's fake grabbed for her throat and enclosed his dragon-clawed hands around it, tightening in preparation to choke the life out of her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

They stood on the roof of the Aburaya bathhouse, shielded by the witches' combined magic from the rain and the occasional flash of blue lightening.  Look as they might, they could see nothing in the darkness which shrouded everything, save for the relentless rain and the overwhelming destruction that lay before them.

However, the look of unease and worry on each of their faces was clear as day.

"You're sure he's back then?" Kamjii asked the witches, his eyes still glued to the vast darkness before them.

"Yes." Zeniiba answered, meeting the eyes of her twin.  "We both felt his presence—and that would eliminate the chance of it being merely a mistake."

"And I had sensed him as well." joined a deeper voice.  Kodama also kept his gaze on the unseen, although he maintained his grip on his wife's hand, unwilling to let her go again after such a long departure from her.  Frowning, he continued, trying to keep the uneasiness he felt out of his voice.  "However…something seems…different…about him…"

Hearing the forest spirit let his sentence trail, Rin shook her head impatiently, anxious to know what they were seemingly keeping from her and Kaonashi.  "What do you mean?" she asked, barely toning her anxiety down to a minimal.

"His aura…" Kodama's troubled face could be seen even in the darkness.  "Even though I had only been with him moments ago, in the humans' realm, I don't recall his aura being this strong back then."  Pausing, and shaking his head as if to clear it, the unusually grim-faced spirit went on.  "He feels…changed, somehow.  Much more powerful—even more so than when he fought for his life against the barrier's assaults; more than when he struggled with the barrier to try to get back into the Majou no Sekai."  

Confused in trying to explain something he himself did not fully understand, he looked to his wife and the young river spirit's former master for an answer.  Feeling her husband's gaze on her, Yu-Baaba could only turn her wary gaze on him to tell him that she too, did not understand what was happening with the boy she had come to think of as her own child.

Bewildered as they might already be with what was taking place, her next statement made their confusion and worry grow even more.

"It…it feels like there are two of him.  Two of Haku." the mistress of the Aburaya whispered as a blue-colored lightening flashed across the sky, seeming to cut it open as more rain fell upon the wrecked land.  In the silence that followed, everyone could hear the quiver in her voice as the witch uttered her next words.

"And one of them is more evil than anything else I've felt in my entire lifetime."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Haku opened his eyes to greet darkness and an onslaught of rain, immediately soaking his dark hair and clothing.  Glancing skyward, he saw nothing but unnaturally thick, ugly clouds which produced the merciless liquid.  Bringing his gaze forward, the river spirit began towards the glass castle at a run, not bothering to wonder how he had gotten where he was.

Or just exactly why he knew, deep down from his heart, this was where he needed to be.

**This is it.**He thought as the great glass walls loomed closer to him_._**Chihiro is in there…I can feel it.  **

Reaching the castle's forbidding-looking doors, the former witch-apprentice whispered words of command as emerald fire shot forth from his hands, destroying the doors and granting him entrance into the castle.  Running through the dark corridors, lit only by the lightening outside, the dragon did not falter at the many doors presented to him along the way—armed with nothing but himself and his love for the girl whose presence he felt strongly in his heart, and with his determination clear in his eyes, Haku ran straight for the roof.  Just as her sweet, warm aura was clear to him, so was the hint of the danger that she was currently in.

**Chihiro, my beloved…I'm coming for you.  Just hang in there…**

Smiling a little ironically, Haku realized that the girl whom he was trying so hard to reach—the girl whom he had struggled so valiantly for, in the humans' realm and in trying to get back into the Majou no Sekai—the girl who had become, unknown to her, his very reason for existing—might even know of his feelings for her…might not even want to return his feelings for her.

**I wouldn't blame her for not knowing how I feel…I can't, really.**The sad thought struck him as he kept his race for the roof, never pausing in the momentum set by his long strides.  **It's been so long…so long since I last saw her, since I last laid eyes on her…last held her hand.**

**We were just children then…both so young, so naïve…**

**And I was already so in love with her.**

An image of the girl flashed across his memory, making the young dragon smile in spite of the stress of his current situation.  He turned his mind back on the task at hand—he was already reaching the end of the stairs—and the end of his quest to be reunited with his Chihiro.

Blasting the glass doors open in the same manner he did the front gates, Haku stopped dead in his tracks, mouth agape, and was frozen by the scene which greeted his eyes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She had felt his presence in her mind—a gentle, warm feeling—even before she saw him rush onto the glass-floored roof, panting as if he has run all the way up the long flights of stairs without once resting.  Chihiro turned her head toward the ruined doorway to steal a glance at the boy whom she found she could not forget, despite all the years and worlds which laid between them.  Seeing him, standing amongst the ruins of molten glass with a shocked and pained expression on his face, the girl struggled harder against the nameless being's grip, trying to breathe in enough air to yell out a warning to the boy whom she had traveled all the way into the world of the spirits to see before it was too late for him…before he got hurt.

However, almost at the same moment she spotted the river spirit, so did her captor.  With an enraged growl coming from the deep of his throat, Haku's fake threw the girl to one side, discarding her like a ragged doll.  Hitting her head on the invisible glass wall that stopped her from plunging to her death, the last thing Chihiro saw was Haku's frozen expression, sensing his desire to run to her—and, at the same time, sensed the nameless being's rage grow out of control as he prepared to attack the unsuspecting Haku.  

Blue-red fire flew from the nameless being's hands towards Haku, roaring hungrily, eager to engulf him in its burning magical flame.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sudden harsh light created by the clash of two spirits' magics illuminated the black skies, revealing the floating glass castle.  Gasping as she caught a glimpse of it, and suddenly realizing what must be happening upon the floating fortress above them, Rin could only muster enough strength for a whisper.

"They…they're up there!  Fighting…  Oh God!  Sen must be up there with them—Haku and her kidnapper!!"  

Heads turned in unison in the direction of the suddenly terrified looking woman.  For a moment after the light brought on by the clashing magics had subsided, darkness and rain once again dominated the skies—but not for long.  Another **boom **and the flares of the strange blue-red magic gave the spirits a pretty good idea of what was happening above their very shield.  For a moment, all they could do was stand there and stare in despair, worrying for their two friends and whatever demons they might be facing at that very moment.  His almost-invisible mouth set in a grim line, it was Kaonashi who voiced their thoughts for them.

"Se…Sen…" he moaned in his way of speaking, "go…help…fr…friend."

"He's right." Zeniiba said firmly, eyes locked on the place where the glass castle has appeared briefly before them.  "We mustn't just stand around and gawk while our friends are in trouble!  We must find a way to reach them."

"Then we will reach them, my sister." Yu-Baaba said, on her face a determined smile as she looked over at her newly regained sister.  "And we will do it the way Sen taught us to."

Nodding, they moved soundlessly to stand in a circle, closer to one another than they have perhaps ever been.  Rin smiled, thinking of her small friend who had taught her so much.

"We can do it…together!"

Pooling their powers together, the circle consisting of spirits, witches, Rin and the No-Face phantom raised into the air an towards where the glass castle was last seen, against the flow of the howling winds and despite the combined might of the magical wind and rain to drive them back.  Their minds focused and determined in reaching only one goal—to get to Chihiro and Haku and lend them all the help they could bring for them.  

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Haku began to run again towards the fallen girl, and ducked to the side just in time to have the blue-red fire of magic pass over his head—barely.  As his opponent threw his second fistful of fire at him, Haku almost fell over when he caught a glimpse of the face of his enemy.

It was his own face, staring back at him with demonically scarlet eyes.

Frozen in his tracks with surprise and shock, the silver dragon almost wasn't quick enough to put up a defensive magical barrier around himself, blocking off the fire attack.  The demon's fire, unable to penetrate his barrier, died away as quickly as it came on, leaving the two Hakus standing on that rooftop, looking at each other's eyes—the moss-green ones searching, the blood-red ones glowing with rage and hatred.  

"Nigihayami Kohakunushi…river spirit, kin to the mighty water dragons…welcome." Bowing mockingly, the nameless being with the demonic eyes drawled in a calm-sounding tone, completely contrasting to his thoughts written clearly on his face.

Even as his opponent spoke, Haku found that he could only stand and stare, unsure of what to make of the suddenly twisted situation, completely vulnerable to an attack.  However, a gentle whisper in his mind turned his eyes toward the seventeen-year-old girl lying in a heap by one of the invisible walls, unmoving.  His anger flaring to life at seeing her like that cleared his head and took place of his confusion; the river spirit was once again aware of the danger that they both currently stood in.

His eyes never leaving that of—Haku couldn't help but gulp at his own thought—his 'other self', he spoke carefully.  

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice loud and clear.  Eyes flashing emerald as he called on his magic, Haku silently switched to a fighting stance, knowing a fight would soon be an order.

The nameless being who bore his form laughed, a cursed and strangled sound coming from what could have been the silver dragon's own lips.  Quieting down, he looked at Haku, a mocking grin on his face.

"I am you, of course." He sneered, not bothering to keep the thick hatred out of his voice and completely enjoying the dismayed look in White-Haku's eyes.  

"Impossible." Haku literally spat the word, unbelieving.  And yet, looking at what could have been a mirror image of himself with red eyes and black hair, Haku found that, somewhere in his heart, what the nameless being was telling him did not seem so impossible.  Somewhere within him…Haku knew that what he was hearing was the truth, as impossible as it might seem.    

Smirking at the confused looking him, Black-Haku summoned his set of dragon wings out of his back.  Spreading them and his arms out, his yelled, challenging the silver dragon to embrace the truth.

"But I am you!" he yelled triumphantly over the roar of blue thunder that caused Haku to cringe in pain, on the brink of his sanity.  "It is the undeniable truth!  Just look at me…every single detail, right down to my wings…right down to the blood which flows in my veins—I am you, inside and out, Kohaku!"

Not waiting for his answer, Haku's fake took to the air with flaps of his great dragon wings, dark as the night.  Coloring the air around him blue with streaks of red, glowing in his own rage and magic, Black-Haku prepared himself for the battle he was about to begin—with himself.

Summoning wings of his own—the large silver-scaled wings of dragons—Haku charge towards his demonic image in the air with a yell, glowing in the emerald of his magic.

**This is it.**  Haku's fake blared his teeth in a sneer.  **This is the moment I've been waiting for.**

**The beginning of the end.**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Absolutely no comments…too busy writing next chappie…just kidding~!  LoL…I wanted to see if I could go a chappie without blabbering on forever, but *shrugs* can't, sorry…I like talking too much, even though this feels like I'm talking to myself ^^*  Anyways…you like, you like??  Cuz if you dunt…then you'd better fess up before I finish writing the fic…which will be soon~!! (hopefully…I wunt get swamped with complains~!!)

Sorta sappy moments with Yu-Baaba's lil groupie…I know…but hey, works for me~! n.n  I needed them to do _something_…but couldn't think of anything else…  No wait…that's not true…I really _didn't _try to think of anything else, seeing how that came out on its own down pact    Man alive, I shouldn't do this while I'm sleep deprived and with my Chemistry textbook opened on my lap, waiting to be read…just doesn't work too well ^^;;

For the purpose of not confusing you guys anymore than I probably already had…the Haku we all know and luv (=^^=) will be mentioned, from time to time, as "white-Haku", while "the other guy" will be "black-Haku".  *shrugs* You probably figured that out by now, but just to make life easier for ya :D  Oh yeah, and remember: Haku and Chihiro hasn't met yet throughout the entire course of the story, so neither of them knows how the other might feel…you just have to wait to see what comes out of this very hectic of a first meeting~!  *evil laughter*

By the way…did I get Haku's "long" name right??  Cuz if I didn't…which I probably didn't!…pls tell me so I can go n' change it~!!

And might I add that (before I shut up)…man!  Trying to finish everything when there's way too much to do is hard~!!  But I _did_ promise…do I'll get this all finished before I leave and have absolutely no time to write XP

Anyhow…the usual critics and comments and…yeah…most welcomed~!  *looking shy/hopeful* You think the reviews will ever reach 100?? =^^=  Well…I'm off to start on the next chappie before I forget what I wanna write~!!

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*

**Daremo– **sorry, I didn't read any of the reviews until after I uploaded the last chappie, so I couldn't answer you then…but you were asking about _Kodama_'s name??  Like I mentioned in the chapter he first appeared in (*scratching head* Oh yeah…go me…already forgot what chappie it was~!! ), his name literally means "tree-spirit", when translated into English.  I kinda just took the name cuz of that, without any other specific meaning or reference…seeing how I was sorta desperate for a name when I was hurrying to upload it.  *blushes* I didn't really watch Princess Mononoke, so I really dunt remember any of the names that were in the movie, much less who their characters were.  I would assume that the lil white things that you mentioned were the tree spirits, so they were given the same name??  Just a wild guess ^^*


	14. Confrontation

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

Characters' thinking/thought-voices in **BOLD**…enjoy~!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**This is it.**  Haku's fake blared his teeth in a sneer.  **This is the moment I've been waiting for.**

**The beginning of the end.**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 13 ~ Confrontation**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She felt light as a feather, weightless among the night cold air.  Opening her eyes slowly, Chihiro suddenly had the strange feeling that she wasn't herself—that she had somehow been disconnected from her body.  Looking around her, she realized that she _was _floating about in the cold of the night air.  Only, it was impossible to tell if it was 'night' in reality, as the dark, thick and unnatural clouds had consumed the skies, destroying the lands with their relentless storm.  A bright flash of light from below her caught the girl's eye, making her turn towards the source.  As her eyes adjusted to the light emitted by the two brightly glowing winged-figures and their features became clear, the girl visibly gasped, startled and frightened by what she saw before her.

**"Do not be afraid…"**the unseen voice that had guided her and Haku from the Land of Mists whispered to her.  Surprised as she was to hear and recognize the voice of an invisible being speaking to her—and not to mention that it spoke with Chihiro'sown voice, she finally realized for the first time—the girl found that she could not tear her eyes from the fight that was happening right below her: a fight that she had tired to prevent with all she had, but to no avail.

**How can I not be afraid?**she thought as she watched the two Hakus' magics clashed once again, illuminating the black skies momentarily.  **How can I not be worried…for the both of them?  Being all the way up here—wherever here is!—, watching them as they engage in a fight to the finish?  **

Somehow, in her heart, the girl found that she knew—_knew—_that this fight was just…so wrong.  How can it _not_ be wrong, when the two fighting against one another are one and the same person?  The same Haku that she cared for?

Sounding amused, the unseen voice spoke again.  

**"And how are you so sure that they are the same being, She-Who-Connects-the-Two-Worlds?"**she spoke carefully, as if the outcome of the battle before them depended on the girl's answer.  **"How can they be the same person, if they both exist in the same time and dimension?  How can they be the same person if they are currently battling against one another?"**

When Chihiro's only respond was to continue her pained stare at the two river spirits, the same yet so completely opposite to the other, the voice continued to speak, her voice low and sad this time.

"How can they be the same person, when their personalities are so different?"

"You're only asking me questions I cannot answer you." Chihiro whispered to the voice, somehow certain that the voice would hear her.  Her eyes caught and held by the intensity of the battle below, Chihiro gasped as she suddenly understood why she was brought here—and who the unseen being was.

"You are only asking me questions that you're certain I don't know the answer to, aren't you?  I can't tell you for certain that they're the same person—the only proof of that is what I feel, within my heart.  You're asking me these unanswerable questions because you know what I'm thinking…because…" her sentence trailing off, Chihiro closed her eyes and smiled as she heard her unseen voice finish her train of thought.

**"Because I am also you, Ogino Chihiro."**

"Yes, yes you are." Chihiro answered softly, feeling the correctness of her own spoken words.  Still smiling, she opened her eyes to find that she had been brought to the Land of the Mists once again.  Instead of wandering, however, this time she just stood rooted where she was, knowing that her voice and mentor would soon come to her.  

A slight whirl in the mists before her caught her attention.  In the area between her and the not-so-far-off distance the mists cleared, white nothingness replacing the haze.  Everything was picture clear.

She stood there, of the same height and appearance as Chihiro herself, clad in the same clothing the girl was, right down to the injuries and damage she and her clothes had collected during her confrontation with Black-Haku, although her clothes seemed to be made of the mists which belonged to this strange place.  Smiling slightly at one another, they both walked forward in the direction of the other, their unspoken thoughts reaching each other without any means of communication.  Walking until they are but a half an arm's length away, they stopped in unison, they gazes serious yet calm upon the other.

**"You are the only one who can link the two worlds."** Chihiro's image continued to speak in her preferred thought-voice, her form glowing a soft pink even as the magical hairtie which Chihiro had worn on her wrist since the day she had been compelled to find it started to pulse in the same light, reflecting Chihiro's own aura.**"And thus, you are also the only one who can prevent the two worlds from collapsing—either separately, or into one another.  You must prevent Black-Haku from reaching his current goal."**

"What could I do?" Chihiro asked her image—the logical part of her own mind which stood aloof from everything else—which had taken physical form before her.  "I can't stop them—I'm no mage!  But I can't stand to see…either of them hurt.  Either of them."  Closing her eyes, Chihiro felt her image doing them same, pained by the thought of her Haku—be it the boy she had come into the Majou no Sekai to seek for, or the one she had spent her most recent times with—hurt by the other.  Sighing, the girl felt memories flood into her own mind, the pink of her aura, emitted by her pulsing hairtie which seemed to hold her untouched magic, blinding out her own image, which stood so close to her.

At first she had feared the demonic form of Haku—perhaps hated him, even: hated him for taking on her beloved dragon's form and deceiving her into trusting him.  When she had felt something…wrong…with him, and then when she saw him transform into the hatred which he held inside of him, the girl had felt fear for her captor like she had never felt before—raw fear that had driven her into running away from him.  However…

The images cleared; Chihiro opened her eyes to stare into those of her image's once again.

**"You could not hate him—could not find it in yourself to stand by while he had struggled with himself.  You could not help but feel pained when you saw him in pain."**

"Because they are also one and the same person…just like us." Chihiro whispered.  A tear rolled down her cheek; the memory of seeing Black and White-Haku battling on top of that fragile glass roof consuming the girl's mind until she could take no more.  

"I have to stop it—stop them.  I mustn't allow them to hurt each other anymore…it isn't right."

**"And why is that?"** Chihiro saw her image now as an entity of brightly glowing pink, flashing in urgency.**  "Why is it that you can't stand the thought of them hurting each other?  Why does it hurt you to see them—him—in pain?"  **

"Because…"

The girl hesitated, unsure of how to sort out declare her mixed emotions that seemed to be in the middle of a thunderstorm in her mind, let alone declare them out loud, even to herself.

**"Answer me…answer yourself!  Why did you return to the Majou no Sekai in the first place?!"**

"Because I had felt Haku was in pain, and I came to help him!  You know this as well as I do!" Chihiro yelled, frightened by her own uncertainty, at the brightly glowing image before her, its outline remaining that of Chihiro's form even though the rest of it had become the girl's pink aura.  Chihiro looked down at her own hands—they were trembling—as were her lips.  She bit down on her lips until she drew blood, frustrated and a little afraid of her own ambiguity—and the degree of emotions which she knew she held within her.  

**"Do no be afraid…of yourself, Chihiro."** The voice dropped to a whisper once again, gentling down from its last outburst.  **"Do not be afraid of the emotions you hold within you…for it is with them, not brute force, that you can stop the water spirits' fight.  You must trust in your heart."**

"Trust in my heart…" Chihiro whispered, staring at her trembling hands, "trust in my emotions…my feelings for Haku…"

Closing her eyes, the girl suddenly remembered all the times she had spend in her world, and during school or work, when images of the smiling young river spirit would suddenly form in her mind; during those long nights when she laid on her bed, unable to sleep and feeling all alone in the world…when thoughts of him and the times they had spend together would pop up in her mind—and everything would be all right.  Thought of him, and his smile which he held only for her…and his promise of one day reuniting with her.  Images and scenes of her times with Haku flooded into the girl's mind, each thought of him warming the girl's heart and easing the trembling of her hands.  Taking a deep breath, Chihiro gathered all her courage and opened her eyes, smiling widely, and glowing in the radiance of her smile and the bright pink of her strengthening aura.

"I came back here, to the Majou no Sekai," she began, staring straight into the image of her glowing pink outline until it was as if they were melting into each other, becoming one once again, "I feel worry and pain when I see them battling against one another, struggling with themselves…because I…"  

Opening her arms as if to declare her thoughts to the world, Chihiro held her smile and felt no fear even as she felt herself falling into thin air once again.  

"Because I love him!  I'm in love with Nigihayami Kohakunushi!"  

**"Then hesitate no more."** Her image spoke to her again with a gentle smile within her mind.  **"Wait no more—fear no more.  You know what it is that you must do…what it is that you could do."**

Chihiro fell back into her body as a large blot of blue-red lightening struck the large entrance of the fortress-castle, destroying it and leaving nothing but molten glass behind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bou watched from the rooftop, shielded from the magic storm by the witches' combined magic, with the rest of the staff and the current residents of the Aburaya, including the Susuwatari and the remaining residents—spirit or not—of the Majou no Sekai.  All of them were looking skyward—looking into the nothingness at that circle of light, getting smaller as it floated up higher towards the seldomly appearing glass castle.  

**Please come back soon, Mama.**The baby thought a little sadly to his mother, worry in every line of his large body.  **Please come back to me…and remember to bring Papa back with you.**

Gripping the mosquito-sized Yu-Bird until it could hardly breathe, the baby continued to stare even as the circle of light which held his mother and father disappeared within the thick clouds.

**Please…**the witch-child prayed, hoping to somehow reach his mother, **come back safely—and with Sen and Haku too.**

Looking at the mix of worried and frightened expressions of those around him, young and old alike, Bou couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine and yet another clash of blue-red and emerald magic illuminated the night sky, revealing the castle and the on-going fight taking place on it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  

"You know you can't run away forever, Kohaku!" Black-Haku yelled over the noise of the raging storm to his other self, grinning madly as the silver dragon dodged yet another one of his many fire-magic attacks.  "You will tire…and then what?  Plunge to your own death?!  Fight me back with everything you've got!  I will not be accused of winning an unfair battle with you—I'll prove once and for all that _I'm_ the more powerful of us!"  Fueled and made stronger by his use of black-magic, he threw yet another fistful of fire at his other, panting self even as a bolt of his lightening hit the young spirit, causing him to cry out in pain and fall on the glass rooftop once again.

**I can't stoop to your level…I won't!**White-Haku thought as he contacted solid glass with his left side, his arm feeling the full impact of his fall_.**  I will not use magic that will bring harm to those around me…**_

Looking over at the still form of the girl who had unknowingly claimed his heart, the silver dragon bit back a groan as he got up from where he had fallen close to her.  Clutching his left arm in pain, White-Haku called to his magic sword which he had long sealed away, its strength and power too strong and unnecessary—until now.  Looking up at the hovering, demonic-looking Black-Haku, he yelled at him as he took flight, trying to get as far from Chihiro's unconscious body as he could before the fight resumed.

"I've given up on using my black magic for a very long time now, and I'm not about to start using it and hurting my friends again—I can defeat you without its help!"

"Are you so sure?" red eyes flashed with amusement as White-Haku flew to a level with him, weaponless and tired.  "Oh, you're right about one thing—you _have _given up on using your black magic for a long time—right after that _girl _appeared." 

Eyes snapping with fury, fangs began to grow on Haku's demon form, giving him a completely sinister look.  Fingers disappeared and gave way to large silver claws, each stained with the brown-red color of dried blood.  His mass of dark hair darkened, turning a dull pitch black, not a hint of light reflecting from where glossiness should be.  The blue-red aura around Haku's demonic form blazed as thunder of pure red hatred flashed by; his aura matching the lightning's color.  "You gave up on magic that none other in your time and world could master—and you created me!"  

Hearing his demonic self laugh hysterically, White-Haku fought to resist his desires to cover his ears in attempt to shut up that cursed sound, knowing that would give his opponent the opening to get in another hit.  Biting down on his lips hard in his way of fighting the pain silently, the silver dragon decided to speak rather than listen to Black-Haku's rants.

"Created you?" he yelled, although not feeling as certain as he did the last time he spoke.  "What…are you talking about?"

"As simply as I had said it—you created me." Black-Haku answered, unexpectedly keeping his distance rather than attacking.  "When you chose that _mortal _over your own power—when you let her weaken you and allowed yourself to open up to her—you let go of the grip you had on your black magic.  Its nature does not have room for one whose heart is not hardened and separated from the rest of the world; it does not obey one who cares for others' feelings…or one that longs for those feelings in return!  When you lost your grip on your black magic which had been a part of you, you allowed me to come into existence!"

Feeling the shock the news brought to his other self, Black-Haku charged suddenly, his claws extended and glowing in the red of his enraged magic as he pulled his arm back for the attack that would end the fight—and White-Haku's life…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*hysterical laughter (ahh…Black-Haku~!!)* Ahhahahahaha…oh man…why am I never right when I predict what I'm gunna write in my own chapters??  When I was planning these last few chappies…(which they obviously are!) I had seriously thought this would be my second last one.  Where the hell did _this _chappie come from?!?!  *laughter continues* Ah…*sobering down/grins* I guess I'll never know…but when I started to type this chappie…Chihiro just decided she should have a lil chat to for certain "find herself" before the end comes.  I hope that it turned out okay…although I'm thinking there are a few things I ought to explain, so here goes.  (for those of you who NEVER read my *ahem* lil blurbs, I'm making it (its title, anyhow) bold to hopefully catch your attention so to clarify this chappie, cuz I know it's a bit confusing~!  For once, my AN is worth reading~!! )

**~`~`~`~`~`~`~Author's Note to explain this chappie: ~`~`~`~`~`~`~**

**1//** I dunno if any of you remember this…but all the way back in the first or second chappie (yes…I forgot which…^^) Zeniiba had asked Kaonashi to hand her her seal, which she used to call on the hairtie she had given to Chihiro…and thus began our whole story of Chihiro coming to the spirit world again~! :D  I used the hairtie as Chihiro's link to her "inner self" (hey…they're all magical…we can't have poor Chihiro here all boring and un-magicky now, can we?? ) and to the Majou no Sekai, where it was (hold onto something) made (^^*).  I didn't want to just leave it at that and not explain it, cuz (at least to me) it looks like a complete waste of an excuse to introduce the 2 characters mentioned with the seal, and Chihiro's sudden need to return to the spirit world just doesn't make sense.

**2// **Land of the Mists…no, it does not exist in the movie itself…but I needed a place where our two main characters could think and sort out their thoughts/flesh out their thoughts for us to see, so it came into existence.  Think of it as a bridge in the passage between the two worlds, alrito? n.n****

**3// **Chihiro's "other self" appearing in the Land of the Mists and talking to Chihiro…since she was already unconscious when Black-Haku explained who he was, there was no way for Chihiro to confirm her _knowing _that they were both Haku.  By having a confrontation with herself, Chihiro could "see" for herself that they were really both Haku, and also gave her a chance to find and figure out her own feelings for this world, the people in it, and Haku.  Remember, Chihiro was, at the beginning of the story, all cold-hearted and had shut out her feelings from the world—so it was naturally harder for her to admit that she loved Haku, to herself _and _to him (of course).  So I needed her to…sort of be forced to face up to reality and see for herself how she felt for him, so that when this is all over her feelings wunt be all mumble-jumbled, and whether the "end-results" are happy or sad (mahahaha…I ain't telling~!! ^^*), she would be able to show how she feels better…cuz she can do that now XP

**4//** If or when Chihiro returns to the human world, or even if (or when!) she stays in the spirit world, she can't go back to the way she was, all cold and indifferent/fake to the world.  I wanted to show that she's really over that—that she's learned that really wasn't her at all, and that she could show her feelings to the world and not hurt people around her anymore.

ALRITE~!!  I'm done now XD  Man…the chappie itself was long enough (longer even than the last chappie~!!), but that "note" was also as long as a short story!  Speaking of which…I have an English essay/short response diploma exam on Monday…AHHHH~!!  I'd better go read the story and memorize some quotes for my essay~!!! 

Oh…almost forgot…!  Crits, comments and the such…send 'em this way~!  Send 'em all this way~!!!

~Aqua Sunshine ^^* 


	15. Resolutions: Part 1

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

The usual characters' thoughts or thought voices in **BOLD**…enjoy~!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"When you chose that _mortal _over your own power—when you let her weaken you and allowed yourself to open up to her—you let go of the grip you had on your black magic.  Its nature does not have room for one whose heart is not hardened and separated from the rest of the world; it does not obey one who cares for others' feelings…or one that longs for those feelings in return!  When you lost your grip on your black magic which had been a part of you, you allowed me to come into existence!"

Feeling the shock the news brought to his other self, Black-Haku charged suddenly, his claws extended and glowing in the red of his enraged magic as he pulled his arm back for the attack that would end the fight—and White-Haku's life…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 14 ~ Resolution: Part 1**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A large silver blade, engraved with the ancient language of the dragons, appeared before White-Haku's upheld hands.  The silver dragon swooped up, his great wings flapping quickly, as he grabbed hold of the glowing silver blade's handle and felt the blade's ancient magic course through his entire body.  For a moment, it was as if the magic was resisting him, testing his limits and his intensions.  Gritting his teeth as he felt the magic prodding him, Haku continued to tighten his grip on the glowing blade as his demonic image also swooped up towards him, coming at him fast with him outstretched clawed hand.  As Black-Haku closed the distance between him and his other self, silver light suddenly blazed forth from the ancient silver blade, momentarily blinding Haku's fake.  Screaming in rage and indescribable hate, Black-Haku stumbled in his flight and dropped, falling blindly.

"Why are you trying to kill me?" White-Haku asked, his voice even and low within the shield of his light.  "Why are you trying to destroy the two worlds—_our _worlds?"

"Because it never offered me with anything but pain and loneliness." Black-Haku screamed back.  To his surprise and displeasure, a single tear had somehow escaped his notice and was rolling down his cheek, expressing for him the pain which he refused to acknowledge.  Angrily, Black-Haku called on his the deepest part of his magic: he glowed a brighter crimson, the heat of his magic burning off the single tear.

The emotion and hurt behind the demon's short words and action were not lost on the silver dragon.  For a moment, White-Haku could feel the very pain and loneliness that the black dragon spoke of.  Pain began to tear at his head as crimson magic appeared within his circle of silver light, wanting to control his mind.  Haku opened his mouth to scream in his emotional agony, only to choke on the red substance of the seeping demonic magic.  A little voice spoke to him from the red mists as he inhaled crimson magic—and the hatred brought on by it.  

**Why do you bother to fight for those who gave you such painful memories?**A voice asked him from within his own mind; red magic filled his vision even as the silver blade in his hand gave off a flash, its attempt to awaken its master failing on the bespelled boy.  **You and him are one and the same—you have just as many reasons to destroy this world as he does.  Why don't you join him?  Together, you will become invincible!  You can make those who had hurt you pay back for what they had done!**

The red magic continued to flood into Haku's mind, blinding him to all reason and blocking him from even his own magic.  His head throbbed painfully; his every heartbeats seemed to come especially agonizingly.  **No… **the silver dragon though desperately.  If only he didn't feel so weak!  Haku found himself buckling under the will and force of the hate and loneliness, wanting to fight back but unable to do so.  His eyes began to glow with magic: first emerald, then slowly, mixed in with the demonic red that his other self had drowned himself in.  Haku felt himself giving in to the loneliness he remembered from his past—felt himself giving in to the voice that awoke his painful memories—until a bright pink aura flashed within the darkness of his mind, binding everything with its light.  A smiling Chihiro walked out from within that light, holding out her arms at him.  Looking from her gentle face to her offering hands, Haku smiled in relief as the warmth of the girl's bright pink magic burned away the darkness and doubt within the silver dragon's heart, set in by the crimson magic.  His head cleared; his vision became focused as he saw the defeated red-demonic magic retreat to fuel the one it had already ensnared.  White-Haku gripped his sword once again with confidence, with the image of his beloved girl firmly engraved into his mind.  

**Thank you, Chihiro.  **The silver dragon thought with a smile.  **I won't forget again…I won't forget what you have taught me…what you have given me without my asking.  **

**I wont give in to the darkness…because I have too much to fight for…too much to live for.  **

The events which occurred within the magical circle of light went by unknown to the black dragon.  Unwilling to let his enemy go for awakening his long forgotten memories, Black-Haku sneered suddenly, his red eyes gleaming with evil purpose.  

"But it doesn't matter now, does it?  Nothing matters…not my reason for existing, my reason for destroying, killing…" he yelled at his other self, hidden within the burning silver light.  "Because in the end, _I _will win—I will be the one who gets what I want, even if you are able to kill me!"

Within the circle of light emitted by the blade and his magic, White-Haku frowned, not understanding the hidden meaning his other self was hinting at.  Knowing that the silence from the silver dragon could only mean that he did not understand, Black-Haku laughed, the cursed sound filling the air between the two dragons.  

"You still don't get it, do you?" the demon allowed himself a half-smiled—a smile neither sweet nor warm.  "I've already told you the answer…weren't you paying attention, my dearest self?  I _am _you…and so in order to kill me—you'd have to kill yourself too!"

"You'd be just as dead." White-Haku replied calmly.  Somehow, surprisingly, he found that he already knew what his demonic self had said was true.  In his heart, Haku felt a little saddened by his most recent realization—this was to be a battle to the end for him, no matter what the outcome.  **Chihiro…    **

"But it wouldn't matter to me, would it?  As long as _you _are dead too!"

The silver dragon closed his eyes within the circle of light which bound him, feeling ancient magic course through his veins, renewing his strength and power, as if he had been freshly charged by the light to guard over the dying world of Majou no Sekai.  Ignoring the cursed sound of his demonic self's laughter and ignoring the consequences of the action he was about to take, White-Haku readied himself to give up everything in order to bring peace to the Majou no Sekai—and the people within it…the people whom he care for.  With his resolve and purpose firmly elected in his mind, White-Haku swung his sword around himself, absorbing the light into the blade, and send it out in a wave of energy after the falling black dragon, commanding the ancient magic to do his bidding.

Black-Haku flapped about wildly in the bone-chilling night air, trying to regain his balance.  Shaking his head violently to clear his temporary blindness brought on by White-Haku's magic blade, the demon opened his eyes in time to catch the white-hot fire of magic bursting forth from the silver blade his enemy held in his hands.  Grinning menacingly, Black-Haku stopped his descend and waited for the fire to hit him with its magic.

He did not have to wait long.  Just as the silver dragon began to wonder why his adversary did not attempt to escape, the light of the silver fire struck its target, earning a scream of agony from its goal.  Searing pain seized Haku as his demonic self was hit with the silvery-white fire.  

Momentarily, it was as if Haku himself had been hit by the same attack that he had unleashed on his demonic self.  

**I mustn't think about that right now.**The silver dragon thought grimly as he shook off the sudden pain which had seized his head.  Re-gripped his sword and dropped after his opponent, ready to finish this madness of a battle.  **I have to finish what I began…before he hurts anyone else.**

**Before he decides to hurt Chihiro.  **

Closing in on his other self, White-Haku brought his silver blade up, its magic and power unstoppable as he swung, opening a wide gash from the demon's arm, across his exposed chest and down his stomach.  Crimson eyes opened and widened at the sword's touch, glowing with frightening hatred and pain.  

Suddenly, a wide and bleeding gash opened on the physically untouched silver dragon the exact way he had placed it on his fake.  Unable to withstand the suddenness of the pain, Haku's grip slipped even before he had time to react, the ancient sword falling out of his hands as his wound bled freely.

Somewhere below him, White-Haku heard an insane laugh as his field of vision contacted the glowing aura of red magic, expanding with each labored breath he took. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Grimly, they watched as they drew nearer the glass castle, close enough that the clear castle was now visible to them.  Even from where they hovered, they could see chunks of molten glass scattered about where the main doorway must have been.

At the same level as them, not so far off, a silver light flared, impossibly bright, followed by the steady pulse and glow of a demonic red—the fires of magic continued their battle of wills as they ate at each other, neither giving ground.  

Somewhere within the bright glows of magics, they heard an agonizing scream, followed by another, identical sounding to the one they first heard, from a different part of the air.  

Rin shuddered.  **I have a bad feeling about this**_, _the girl thought as she tried not to let her fear show on her face.  So much depended on their success—on Haku's and Sen's success. 

**But what if…**the young woman closed her eyes as she tightened her grip on Zeniiba and Kaonashi.  **What if we can't beat it?  What if our combined power—and even Haku's and Sen's power—can't beat this thing?  Will our world really cease to exist?  **

**What if that…that thing, whatever it is that they're fighting right now as I think…can't be beaten?**

She was not given a chance to figure out her answer, however, as their ring of light hit the barrier shielding the glass castle and the air around it.  Try though they might, the barrier was strong and impossible to penetrate—making it also impossible to interfere with whatever that was going on inside.

"This…this is not good…at all." Yu-Baaba said as they tried once again to slam into it with their magics to no avail.  

"The barrier will continue to absorb whatever it is that we throw at it." Kodama said quietly and solemnly, speaking what they all knew was true.

"Then that's it, isn't it?" Zeniiba said just as quietly, sounding more tired and worried than any of them has ever known her to be.  "Whatever created this barrier—and this storm, no doubt—wants no interference in _that_."  Pointing her fingers upwards, they followed her gaze to the growing patch of crimson in the sky, its magical aura angry and full of hatred.  "It wants to make sure that nothing interferes with its plans…and created this to ward against our magic."

"Then we just have to trust them, don't we?" Kamjii responded matter-of-factly, his old eyes sad and steady in their stare at the invisible battle not far from where they were.

**So much depend on you, little one.**Zeniiba thought as she took in the saddened and worried faces around her.  **You and Haku both.  Please…help us.  The fate of our world…the fate of your world…now rests in your hands.  Do you know just how important your battle will be to us…and to the future of the rest of the two worlds?**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The light that had blazed forth from Haku and the sword's combined magic as he struck his fake faded; demonic red magic spreading rapidly to replace its former light.  Black-Haku gripped the silver blade with both hands, his eyes burning a deeper crimson as he sneered in victory of obtaining his opponent's weapon.  Looking over to his other self, however, Black-Haku frowned, angered and unsure of why his other self was just staying where he hovered calmly even as he watched his enemy hold onto to his only chance of surviving this fight.  Blood continued their free rampage down both Hakus' chests—both of them covered with the same red blood which flowed within their veins.  Seeing his look and the silence that stretched out between them, both of them motionless and watching the other, White-Haku spoke in a low voice, barely auditable over the roaring of the thunder.

"That blade will not obey you."

Looking up in surprise at the composure and calmness of the tone of voice which replied him, Haku's demon growled, irritated.  Pure red lightening flashed across the sky above White-Haku's head, causing the silvery dragon, although physically unharmed by it, to flinch in pain from the lightning's magic.  The dragons were not far from one another—both of them in range of the other's attacks—and they were now both covered with sweat and blood, exhausted by their fight and the identical wound which they both bore.

"And why is that?  Why are you so sure?" Black-Haku hissed angrily, half-panting as he tried to catch his breath.  Black-scaled wings spread out wider, expressing their challenge.  "If it obeyed _you_, then surely it will obey also _me_—after all, _I'm_ the more powerful of the two of us here!"      

"It will not obey you," White-Haku continued, calm moss-green eyes never leaving the other dragon, "because _you_ are corrupted with darkness—and the blade you hold in your hands is a blade made from the light and _for _the light.  You cannot control it…you cannot wield its power because you do not understand it."

"Don't understand?!" his aura glowed with his words, enveloping the sky in red.

"Kindness, happiness, compassion, care…" Haku's voice softened, gentled as he remembered what he had finally learned from life even as he kept his penetrating gaze on his demonic self, made half-crazy by his own hatred and rage.  "And most of all…love.  Love from those who care for you…and love for those who love you."

"Love." Black-Haku spat out the word, his crimson eyes flashing.  "Love is for fools who do not understand the first thing about life—surviving.  The strongest survive in this world, and the rest perish.  Tell me, what could your wonderful _love _do for you when everything around you are gone?  When you're forgotten and left to fend for yourself in this lonely hell called life?  Love is an illusion that _you _have fallen under—and that is why _I'm _destined to win this battle and carry with me our magics: because I'm not a weak-willed sentimental fool!"

As Black-Haku charged at the silver dragon with the ancient blade, white magic once again burst forth from the silver blade.  Pain coursed through his veins as the blade's magic laid judgment on him, trying to burn through the darkness that he had wrapped himself in.  Black-Haku screamed in fear and pain and dropped the sword, his hands soaked with his own blood.

The sword flew across the distance, hilt first, to the unaffected silver dragon, who had not moved an inch through this entire process.  Panting and raising his head to look over to his other self, Black-Haku let out a full-throated roar as he once again charged at his original, claws outstretched.  Nearing White-Haku, who had taken a battle stance of his own, their magics and shields of magics clashed.  Combined silver, emerald and crimson magic seemed to explode soundlessly, causing both Hakus to lose their balance and begin to fall onto the cold glass roof below them.

They fought as they fell, neither of them gaining an advantage as they tried to kill the other, opened little gashes on themselves even as the sword or the claws touch the other's flesh.  In the empty night sky, flashes of emerald-silver and crimson magics kept exploding on one another on impact, as if the fight was merely a dance for the magic of the sorcerers.  In another flash caused by a clash of their magics, both Hakus were knocked down by the invisible impact and landed to hit the glass roof with a thud, bruised and bloody, their wounds all opened and bleeding.

Swaying as they both got to their feet once again, they spared no time no charging at each other, glowing in their auras as they moved in for the kill, both of them knowing that one more direct contact with either sword or claw—with no one there to stop or that is able to stop either of them—it would be the end to the both of them.

Suddenly, a bright pink flashed on the glass roof, its magic filling every corner of the dark castle, save for the dragons' respective auras, and a feminine voice screamed out.

"STOP IT!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting excited about the ending???  I know I am~! ^^*  I had intended to make the last chappie well…ONE chappie…but apparently it had other ideas, as you can see in the "Part 1".  (By the time I actually _finished _my "ending chapter", it was just wayyy too long to post as one single chapter, seeing how the rest of my chappies aren't all 7500+ words long!! ^^;;  But then again…looking back, this chappie really isn't a fair cut since the other one is…*gulps* 5310+ words long…!)  And so, I guess I could say that this chapter provided the setting and the beginning of this fic's ending, and the NEXT chappie will round up everything and give you…an ending~!! 

Enough said…as usual, crits, comments and the such are always, always welcomed, no matter how much you have to say 'bout my ficcy :P

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*

ps: wow, a short author's note!!  Arencha proud of me?? n.n


	16. Resolutions: Part 2

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

Characters' thoughts/thought voices in **BOLD** n.n

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Swaying as they both got to their feet once again, they spared no time no charging at each other, glowing in their auras as they moved in for the kill, both of them knowing that one more direct contact with either sword or claw—with no one there _to_ stop or that _is_ _able_ to stop either of them—it would be the end to the both of them.

Suddenly, a bright pink flashed on the glass roof, its magic filling every corner of the dark castle, save for the dragons' respective auras, and a feminine voice screamed out.

"STOP IT!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Chapter 15 ~ Resolution: Part 2**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miraculously, they both stopped in their tracks, one with a raised sword and the other with outstretched claws, both ready to strike and merely inches from the girl who had so bravely and foolishly come between them.

Time seemed to freeze but for the splattering of the relentless rain on the glass rooftop.  The strong winds blew its cold breath on the lone girl, so brave yet so fragile looking, standing right in the line of fire of the dragons in their battle of destiny.  Panting to catch his breath from his physical strains and how close his beloved girl had come to her doom, White-Haku noticed that the bright pink aura was not the only thing that shimmered before him—her back to him, Haku could only see glistening tears fall from his beloved girl's face onto the cold glass roof, the girl too upset to notice them herself.

**She's crying…** the silver dragon thought as he continued his stare at the girl before him, her shoulder shaking with effort to hold in her sobs.  **But why…**__

The commotion was not left unnoticed by the other dragon on the roof, who stood just as motionless as his original, and stared at the girl with the same confusion and wonderment in his eyes.  Her face towards him, arms spread out around her as if to shield White-Haku with her life, the black dragon could see clearly that tears were falling out of her eyes in a steady, silent flow.  For a moment, the crimson that has filled his eyes seemed to falter, weaken, at the sight of the pink-auraed girl.  His mind was screaming a thousand things at him, his hatred and anger demanding to be set loose once again.  However, something stopped him—something in that girl's eyes stayed his hand as his claws froze at their position near her face, the moment she had appeared before them.

**What…what's wrong with me?**The black dragon thought wildly as he kept his gaze on the girl before him, finding that he could not look away from her.**  I…I promised myself I wouldn't be tricked by her and her lies again!  And yet…**

**There's something in that girl's eyes…the sorrow she hold in them…**

**The way her tears are falling out of her eyes, unbidden…**

Black-Haku let his arms drop to his side the same moment his other self dropped his sword.  

He could not bring any harm to her—could not stand the thought of hurting her.

**But why…**

"Please…" a soft whisper came from trembling lips, the strongest sound the girl could muster.  "Please…don't fight any more…don't hurt each other anymore.  Can't you see it?  Can't you see how wrong this is, fighting yourself when you were of one and the same mind?  The same emotions?"

Unable to control her tears, the girl sank onto the glass roof, her face hidden behind the mask created by her hands, muffling her sobs.  The only evidence of her emotional turmoil came from the way the delicate form's shoulders shook as she tried to keep her sobs from being heard.

Silence took over then, neither Hakus moved a muscle or made a comment.  They both stood there, arms and weapons forgotten on their sides, as they kept their gazes on the girl who had stopped them from delivering the killing blow to one another.  It was Black-Haku who spoke first, disturbing the silence.

"You are unhurt," he said bluntly, his voice surprisingly gentle, "there is no evidence of a wound on you, or anything that would inflict pain on you…yet you…look…pained.  Why?"

**Chihiro…**White-Haku thought, finding himself unable to speak.  **Why…why place yourself in such danger?  I'm supposed to protect you, not let you endanger yourself!  And yet…somehow…by trying to protect you…it seems I had let you get hurt after all…**

"I _am _unhurt…physically." the gentle whisper once again came from the girl, wrapped in a cloak of her warm pink aura.  "But seeing the two of you hurt yourselves like this…it hurts…me…  It hurts unbearably so.  Can't you see?"  Her head snapped up suddenly, her tear-stained face meeting that of both dragons' surprised ones.  "To see the two of you like this, separate and fighting…when I…care…so much for you…both of you…it hurts me, inside."

Standing up and walking towards Black-Haku, Chihiro reached out a hand to touch his cheek, making him flinch at the warm contact but unable to move away.  Staring into the girl's eyes, Black-Haku felt something he had never felt before…the things that his other self had described for him during their air-borne battle.  His fangs disappeared, his hair lightened, stopping only when it was back to their normal steel-gray.  His hands began to shake uncontrollably, almost as if they were afraid of the boldness of her contact.  

"I know that you can fight the darkness within you.  I know you can win against its evil, and be freed from its grasp."

"Why are you so sure of this…?" the black dragon whispered in reply, unable to look away from the girl's warm honey-colored eyes that seemed to draw him in.  She smiled at him, like the rays of the summer sun peeking out from beneath layers of the thick dark clouds in his life.

"I know you can do this," Chihiro said, smiling, "you _must _be able to do this—because you are Haku."  Taking both his clawed hands in both of hers, Chihiro continued to smile at the astonished demon who had tried to take her life.  "I believe in you…I believe you can overcome the evil that came to control you, because I can tell—your heart is still pure."

Behind her, White-Haku closed his eyes as he suddenly became aware of his own heartbeat.  **Yes,**the silver dragon thought, smiling, **she's right—he's a part of me…a part which I had gotten rid of by rejecting it and forgetting it, instead of purifying it within myself.  That creature…that evil…is me: it is who I once was.  I cannot defeat it through bloodshed…I must not defeat it through any use of force…because then, when this is all over, the evil will still continue to live on through my blood-tainted work to ensnare someone else into their grasp.  **

Looking over to his still shocked-looking demonic-self, Haku realized that in order to put an end to all this madness that he himself had initially, though unintentionally, created…he must be able to become one with himself again, whole and new.  

**And when I do…I must….**

"Evil exists in everything…it is part of the substance that makes us who we are."  Chihiro had continued to speak, surprising the silver dragon with the solemnity, wisdom and understanding that was in the girl's voice.  "We can not more deny it as a part of us than we can deny ourselves limbs that are attached to us, because they are all a part of who we are—our physical definition, just as evil is a part of our emotional definition.  While we cannot rid ourselves of it—we can control it, contain it—and bend it under our will so that it will never surface to take advantage of us."

With that, she turned to White-Haku and smiled, still holding onto the black dragon's hands.  Her eyes, which had glowed with the pink of her magic, faded to their normal appearance; her naturally warm honey orbs taking in the sight of her beloved dragon slowly, as if memorizing his every detail.  

A half-scream, half-roar came from the black dragon, breaking up the moment.  Snatching his clawed hands from Chihiro—and scratching deep gorges into the girl's hands in the process—Black-Haku held his claws to his head, shrieking in pain from his inner turmoil of his demonic nature and the part that wailed for the glimpse of warmth the girl had delivered to him.  Chihiro stepped back, afraid for Black-Haku's safety and for the sudden madness that had overtaken him.  The silver dragon stepped up from behind her, steadying the girl as she stumbled over a clump of molten glass.  

Together, river spirit and human girl watched as the demon within Haku's other self rose up in rebellion to the new emotions the boy had just contacted, wanting to control the black dragon once again.  White-Haku released Chihiro and stepped out before his agonizing self, his silver blade nowhere in sight—his obviously intention not to fight shown in his unarmed state.

He stopped, merely an arm's length from his other self, and stared at him straight in the eye.  Much of the crimson had disappeared during his talk with Chihiro, and now the streaks of red within his eyes were fighting to dominate his natural sky-blue colors once again.  Surprised by the sudden pause of movement before him, Black-Haku controlled his thrashing and met White-Haku's look eye for eye.  

Both dragons stood there, unmoving, as the silver dragon gazed unwaveringly at his other form, and the black dragon looked back at what could've been his mirror image with a questioning and somewhat desperate gaze.  The two of them did not look away from one another even as long moments passed; did not blink even though the relentless rain had showered upon them great waters that were dripping into their eyes—their minds were locked together as one as they conferred within the depths of their soul, the two halves understanding one another for the first time since they were split apart.  Nodding, just once, the black dragon placed his outspread palms into White-Haku's waiting ones, biting his battered lips even deeper as several lines of blood ran down his mouth, doing his best to fight the demon demanding to rise up once again within him and control him.  Before their palms contacted, the boy who had intended to kill Chihiro looked over to the girl and smiled—a small, bittersweet smile, before the two dragons' hands touch and a brilliant emerald and silver light enveloped them both, blinding out everything and illuminating the pitch black sky with its radiance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As she met the gaze of her beloved Haku's demonic self, Chihiro gasped, too shocked at what she saw within his eyes and too afraid of the helplessness she felt at not knowing what they were about to do—or of its results.  The magical clash and explosion of light forced the girl to cover her eyes to shield herself from being blinded by it.  

**His eyes…** the girl thought as the brilliant lights illuminated the skies.  **His eyes were…they weren't crimson, or that sky-blue they were when I first met him—they were the same moss green as Haku's own eyes…  Just as gentle…and just as caring…**

Daring to open her eyes just a crack to steal a glance at the spot where the two dragons had disappeared into the magical light, Chihiro prayed—prayed _hard_—that whoever that had watched over the dragon spirits thus far would protect them again.  

**Somehow…somehow…the thought of losing either of them…of seeing either of them hurt…it hurts me too, on the inside.  How can it not hurt me, when I'm in love with one half him and they are one and the same person?**

Chihiro closed her eyes once more.  Unnoticed by her, a strand of brightly burning pink streaked towards the ball of light that continued to illuminated the black skies, circling it as if to protect it with its magic.

**Please, Haku…please be all right.  You promised me, remember?**

**You promised that you would see me again, on that bridge where I had been forced to leave you, seven years ago…you have to meet me there once again…so…**

**Please…make it out of this unharmed…because…**

**I don't know what I'd do without you.**

Taking deep breath, the girl decided that she couldn't take the slow and agonizing wait any longer, just standing there and doing nothing when the one she loved was in potential danger.  She opened her eyes to see for herself what was happening, regardless of the thought of what the bright light before her could do to her vision.  

Instead of the burn of the bright magical light she had expected, the skies were pitch black again, and all that lit the barely intact glass roof were a pink and emerald aura, wrapped around their respective masters.

There, in the light of his magic, a form that looked vaguely like Haku stood, most of his shape shrouded by the light of his magic, smiling at the bewildered girl.  Instead of the pure white outfit outlined in emerald green he had worn when the girl first saw him when he had burst onto the rooftop of the invisible castle they stood on, the Haku that stood before her wore dark clothing, the cloth dark as the black skies that surrounded them, still outlined with that same emerald green that seemed to shimmer on the boy.  A little hesitant and afraid of what—or who—she might see, Chihiro gathered her courage and looked up—and into the stranger's eyes.  What met her gaze, however, was the familiar and gentle face of her beloved silver dragon, from his tender moss green eyes right down to the light gray of his hair, getting darker as he was once again drenched in the magical thunderstorm.  The years that they had spend apart did not make the girl feel like she was looking at a stranger, someone she had just been reunited with and barely know.  But rather, the Haku she saw was exactly the way she had expected him to be…the same Haku that had never left her heart since she had left the Majou no Sekai years ago, although she had never fully realized or acknowledged that fact so truthfully until now, face to face with him again. 

All Chihiro could do was to stand there and stare into his eyes, for the first time in that day realizing how close he was to her—how close they stood after being apart, separated in two different worlds for seven mortal years.

Silence took its reign over the young couple as they continued to stand there in the open rain, careless of their current situation as the reality of their physical closeness set in.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They had watched, from the distance the barrier of the invisible castle has kept them at, when the clash of the magic of crimson-hatred and silvery-emerald had been at their climax, and then completely die down.  They watched in silence and fear as the crimson magic had momentarily taken over the air which covered the entire castle, engulfing it and its inhabitants in its hungry flames.  They had seen together as first the warm and somehow familiar pink aura calmed the roaring crimson magic, then when the emerald-silver one had confronted it, causing an explosion of bright silver light so strong that none could look at it and ever see again.  

They had waited…and waited…as the silver light illuminated the black skies covered by the magical thick clouds that had spelled the doom for the Majou no Sekai, and now still they wait as the brightness of the glory fade back into nothingness, leaving behind only a pink and an emerald aura, the rain falling too hard for them to make out the details of the confrontation of the two lone sorcerers who wielded those auras of magic.

The only thing they had been able to accomplish by flying up here to the glass castle was to sit and wait.  Wait for the fate of their world and the humans' world be determined by a human girl and a river spirit who had lost his home—and there was nothing they could've done to help either of them.

And now, as they squint to catch a better glimpse of the two remaining figures with their eyes and magics…they realize that even now all they could do is wait.

And perhaps…to believe…  Believe that they could live to see tomorrow.

Yu-Baaba sighed.  There was too much disturbance in the magic which rained down around them for her to detect which exactly it was that still stood on that glass rooftop.  Looking from her husband to her sister, she could tell that they could do no better either.  

So that meant they really have no choice but to wait till the end.

One particular individual from the circle of light made by the combined magics of the twin witches, spider and forest spirit, a no-name monster and Rin fidgeted as much as she could without breaking contact with the others.  It's too bad Rin had never been a very patient person.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

For the first time since he met with her again face to face, after seven long years, Haku finally noticed that he had expected Chihiro to look like this—the warm, slender and graceful girl that stood before was not a stranger to him, but rather, someone he felt he has known all his life…someone that he found his mind to be familiar and perfectly at ease with—very much the same way the girl had also found him to be.

The silver dragon couldn't take the silence between them any longer.  Crossing the distance between himself and his beloved girl quicker than she had even noticed he'd moved, Haku took Chihiro into his arms, holding her tightly against himself as if to never let her go.  Impulsively, her arms went up to loop themselves around his neck, pressing herself against him equally tightly.  Chihiro felt fresh tear swarm their way from her eyes, wetting his shoulder.  She'd missed him so much!  They stood there like that for several long moments, just holding onto each other, the time lost between them and the distance which had separated them forgotten.

Knowing what he must do after just reunited with the girl whom he cared so much for, the river spirit tightened his arms around her and swallowed hard as his throat suddenly became painfully tight with emotion. 

"It's been so long." The silver dragon whispered into her hair, breathing in the soothing smell of her fragrance.  "You've grown…and changed, too…so much.  I'm sorry…that I can't be here to share it with you—that I can't stay to get to know you for the rest of our lives…the way I feel I do now."

Lifting her chin gently, and looking into her tear-reddened quizzical eyes, Haku leaned down to brush her lips gently and sweetly for the first time, his kiss lingering for but a full breath.  Unwilling to let her go, he pulled back just enough to whisper softly on her lips.

"I love you, Chihiro.  I always have…I always will."

And with that, silver-emerald fire enveloped the river spirit, and when the light cleared, the silver dragon had gone.

Gasping at she stepped back to find that the silver dragon had gone, Chihiro searched frantically on the rooftop and in the dark sky for her beloved.  Her eyes caught a spark of silvery-emerald light, high and far above her—Haku, wrapped with the light of his magic and the magic of the dragon sword, his silvery wings spread out far apart as he raised the sword high above his head, as if challenging the very sky itself.

In a flash, she suddenly knew what he was going to do.

"NO!!!!!!!!" someone screamed, their voice cracking as it rose from a scream to a shriek.  Her throat felt odd; Chihiro it was her own voice that she was hearing, screaming for Haku to stop what he was doing before…before…  

Before it's too late.  

The only thing the girl knew—the only thing on her mind—was to get to the dragon and stop him from going through with such a crazy idea.  Knowing that she could not fly to reach him, the girl closed her eyes in pain helplessly, her heart and mind filled with her thoughts and love for the lone silver dragon, who was about to kill himself.  Bright pink fire boomed around the girl, light pink feathers of an angel scattered around the girl as her wings spread and readied to take flight for the first time.  Not taking the time to wonder about this newest development, Chihiro immediately took flight, not caring if this was the first time she's ever flown before.  Flapping her wings urgently, her feathers falling away to rain upon the glass roof, Chihiro hovered before Haku, directly in front of the boy.

"But why, Haku?" Chihiro whispered desperately at the silver dragon, unable to raise her voice to a louder volume than it was.  The river spirit had stopped mid-strike, his sword-point pointing at his own chest, when he heard the girl below him scream.  Now he looked at her with pain in his eyes, matching that in her own.

"Because it is the only way to save both our worlds." The silver dragon whispered back to her gently, speaking just as softly as she had.  Around them, the raging winds of the magical storm howled, getting stronger by the moment.  "He and I…we were one to being with.  When we became one again…"  Shaking his head, and smiling sadly and still with that pained expression on his face.  Haku gripped the sword hilt a little tighter, his knuckles turning white in the effort.  

"I have to take responsibility for his—my—action.  This storm is bound to him—to us.  And so…as long as I remain, so will the storm whose intention is to wipe out the Majou no Sekai, and then swallow up your world.  I can't let that happen.  I can't let a mistake that I had made hurt countless people, in both our worlds."  He reached out with his magic to form a phantom hand which cupped her face.  "I can't let it hurt you, or destroy the world you love…the world you live in, with people whom you care for.

"This is the last thing I can do for you, Chihiro.  I wish that I could stay with you forever…I wish that _I _could become part of your happiness—_be _your happiness.  But since that cannot happen unless this storm and its spells are destroyed…then at least let me protect your happiness.

"Allow me to protect your future…to protect you…the one I love."

Before the stunned and pained-looking girl before him could say anything else to stay his hand, Haku brought his sword down hard, to be buried in his chest.  Red blood flowed out freely as Chihiro screamed and sped towards him, catching him and cradling him with her own blood-stained arms when he was about to fall.  With the last bit of his strength, the silver dragon reached out a hand to meet hers halfway and smiled—and closed his eyes in death.

**Chihiro…** his voice was soft and tender in her mind, so warm and comforting.  **Chihiro…I kept my promise of meeting you again, even after all these years, didn't I?  I will make that same promise to you once more…that we will meet again.  No matter what world you're in; no matter what stands between us—I will come back, and I will find you again.  I promise you, my beloved one.**__

His cold, limp hand slipped from her equally limp grasp; his scaled wings and body disappearing in a flutter of a thousand silver feathers that caught the wind and blew away, as if they had never existed.

The cries of the girl who wielded the pink aura were heard in every corner of the Majou no Sekai and the humans' world, her cries reflecting the grief and hurt she felt as deep as if she herself had died.

The skies cleared as if no clouds had ever crossed its surface; the invisible glass castle crumbled and split into a billion little pieces, each turning into a beautiful butterfly that flew past the winged girl in the middle of the big clear blue sky, hovering in the empty air.  The mercilessness of the water which had come down at the magical bidding gentled, settling into the rivers or turning into a million little water fairies, all of them heading towards the human world to nourish the greenery there.

The girl stayed in the same position she had been when she rushed to the dying dragon, cradling that one hand which had last held Haku's.  Her tears flowed steadily down her face, to fall as sparkles down unto the damaged land of the Majou no Sekai, the girl unable to do anything to control them.

"Sen…" Rin ventured quietly, not wanting to further her little friend.  The girl did not move an inch; did not appear to have heard the arrival of her friends at all, nor did she acknowledge them.  She just stayed the way she was, staring at her cradled hand, looking lost and hurt, as if someone had ripped her heart out mercilessly and wouldn't return it to her.

The members who had managed at least to travel to the girl's side looked at each other worriedly. They had seen too, when their little friend had tried to stop Haku from taking his own life…and they watched, helpless, as the girl has failed and the silver dragon had killed himself in order to preserve the lives of those whom he had learned to care for.  Rin tried again to call to her young friend, to offer her comfort.

But no words could ease the pain that Chihiro felt as she saw her beloved stab himself and bled to death; no words could describe the pain and the…emptiness…the girl feels right then, as her beloved's body had been taken from her in the form of silver feathers, forever flying away from her.

Forever…from her life.

Zeniiba, looking worn and tired beyond her years from the emotional toll they were all going through, decided to speak up, disrupting the silence that had followed Rin's futile efforts to get Chihiro's attention.

"Look below you, child."  Gently, the witch who had helped in awakening Chihiro's magic took the girl's hands and guided her gaze to the lands below them.  On the earth, which had been tattered and left in shards by the unyielding storm and stripped bare of all signs of life, were little tiny emerald sprouts, carpeting the entire ugly brown land with its beautiful life.  Wherever Chihiro's tear lands, a new sprout appears, gracing the land with its presence.  The girl watched all this emotionlessly, in a trance.  

"It all returns to the Earth." Chihiro whispered suddenly, startling everyone around her. "It all returns to create a new beginning…" 

Chihiro turned her head in the direction Haku's silver features had flown off, and saw that there too, the lands were once again filled with the sprouts of green grass and miniature trees, with yet-to-bloomed new flowers buds surrounding them.

Closing her eyes, Chihiro could see an intertwined pink and emerald aura in every bit of sprouts and in every inch of land, all of which drew their energy on her and Haku's combined magics.  

**He's here…** the girl thought with tears in her eyes as she allowed Rin to embrace her tightly.  **He's in everything…helping them grow, nourishing them.  He gave his all for us to have another chance…at living…at creating a new life.**

"We…we must help him." the girl stammered as Rin released her from her tight hug, "we mustn't let his sacrifice go to waste…we must help him create a new world—one where hatred doesn't exist.  After all," Chihiro smiled through her tears, looking like the same strong and caring ten-year-old girl that they had all come to love.  "When Haku looks to check on us…we should be able to show him we did something good with the world he had revived for us, right?"

The tears continued their silent and steady flow down the girl's cheeks, the mouth and eyes the portrait of a bittersweet smile.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was a tearful farewell for all of them, although Chihiro promised to return to visit often.  With the tunnel and the gates which had connected the two worlds destroyed, the girl had taken to the sky with her light-pink feathered wings to go through a warp in the sky, opened by her magic.  

She came out the other side in a dark, small cave-like structure made of rocks, which was home to a small creek made by a tiny mountain stream.  She stepped out in her world, calling her wings away, and saw that she was in the middle of the forest where the tunnel that led to the Majou no Sekai had once been.  Walking stiffly on tired legs, physically and emotionally exhausted, the girl neared the tunnel—now merely a pile of old rubble—and realized that she was not alone in the forest.  Two undistinguishable voices were calling something on the human side of the rubble.  As she neared, her tired mind registered the voices had sounded…familiar, somehow…and extremely worried.  Curious, the girl stepped out from behind a tree and almost fell straight into the waiting arms of her mother.

"Chihiro!  Thank goodness, we've found you!" the woman cried with tears of joy as she hugged her daughter close to her heart, regardless of what her once-indifferent daughter might say to her afterwards.  To Ogino Yuuko's surprise, her daughter buried her face in the woman's chest as her mother held her tight, rocking her back and forth like she had when Chihiro was a small child.  Feeling a strange comfort within the circle of her mother's arms, Chihiro could only manage to mutter a few words to her mother and her panting father as she drifted off to sleep.

"I'm sorry, okaa-san, otou-san…I miss you both so mu…"

A single tear escaped Chihiro's tear-stained cheek as she fell into the blackness of a dreamless sleep, mind and body longing for rest.

"Poor thing must be exhausted," panted Ogino Akio softly, having to come running to his wife and daughter.  Gently, he lifted his daughter out of his wife's arms and carried her sleeping form back to their waiting car.  "Let's go home, Chihiro." He murmured softly.

Above the thick green forest that guarded the Majou no Sekai, the sky over the human world was blue and clear, just as it was in the land of the spirits.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ladies and gentlemen…this is it—the end of **The Day the Dream Ended**.  Thanks for reading~! ^^

*rolling credits wiv sappy music in the background*

Hehehe…JUST KIDDING!  Did you think I'd leave a stupid cliff hanger-like thing (well…not really a cliffy…but not much of a conclusion to what happened after, either, ne?? n.n) as an ending to _this _ficcy??    I'd be mad, if I was reading the ficcy…so I can't risk you guys getting mad at me…not after all those hours of writing this ficcy~!!

Sooo…next week, the _last_ update on **The Day the Dream Ended**—**DDE Epilogue: Eternity**.  The battle is over, the worlds are safe—but did their peace and existence came at a price too great?  Will those who are left grieved by the great and little-known battle be able to go on living…or will they choose too to follow with the one they love…?

(Wow…I never did one of those before!  Why did I start this time??  I'll never know…O_o  But be sure to come and read the last chapter of my ficcy~!!)

As usual…crits, comments…and more comments much welcomed~!!  Pls send them all here…cuz this is my second last chance at hearing what you guys think of the ficcy~!! :P

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


	17. Epilogue: Eternity

**Disclaimer – "**Default Chapter" saids it all ^^*

All the characters' thoughts in **BOLD**…please enjoy the final chapter of this ficcy~! 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*~ The Day the Dream Ended ~*~

**Epilogue ~ Eternity**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking along the new river in the woods which guarded the land of the spirits, Ogino Chihiro couldn't help but smile at the beautiful scenery around her.

**Yes…it really is a lot like being in the Majou no Sekai.**The girl reflected, face uplifted towards the warm rays of the afternoon sun which shone through the trees.  **So peaceful…so beautiful…so quiet.  It's almost as if I'm taking a stroll through Yu-Baaba's carefully trimmed gardens, or the untamed woods by Zeniiba's cottage.**

At the mouth of the small cavern, where the river flowed from the world of spirits to the world of humans—a fact that was still and will remain unknown to anyone other than the one seventeen-year-old girl who was bound to both worlds—Chihiro halted suddenly and sat down at her favorite spot, her back supported by a large willow tree next to the cavern, as if standing guard over it.  Leaning against its warm bark and sitting upon the cool luxurious grass, the girl sighed, thinking of the mind-swirling events which followed her venture into these woods sometime three months ago—the one that had brought her back to the Majou no Sekai for the first time in seven years—that one fateful day which had forever changed her and the way she will live the rest of her life.  

Her sudden disappearance from the human world, with her parents none the wiser concerning her whereabouts, had resulted in an entire month of answering questions from friends and family alike with an interestingly believable story whenever she was questioned about her disappearance.  To her parents she had told the truth, only to have them tell her, with wide grins on their faces, that no one other than the two of them were likely to believe her, even if it was the truth.  Surprised as she was that they believed her at all, Chihiro had understood the reason for using a made-up story as her disappearing excuse and agreed to go along with…what her parents had been telling everyone—after all, _any _other story would be more believable than hers, although it _is _the true reason.

Thinking back to her first day back at school since her return to the human world, Chihiro smiled faintly, remembering how surprised she had been when all her friends and classmates had crowded around her, each one of them asking her a million questions at the same time, even though they knew they could not be heard over the chorus of noise of their other schoolmates.  It was not the way that they had swamped around her that surprised her—although she _did_ find it very touching, and had told them so sincerely, to their surprise—but it was the fact that they were all asking her about her _health, _and whether she was really over her dreadful disease that the doctors had never seen before and thus did not have a cure for her.  As the girl had stood there amidst her schoolmates, trying not to look too stunned, her friends had gone on to apologize for not going to visit her, because she had been placed in isolation in the hospital and thus was not allowed any visitors.  Was she really all right now?  She's so strong to have overcome that disease all by herself!  Letting her faint smile slide into a wide grin, Chihiro wondered for the millionth time why, of all the excuses, her parents had chosen to come up with such an unbelievable story—and yet have people believe in it so firmly.  Thinking of her parents brought Chihiro's smile to broaden, if that's possible, as the girl reflected on how dramatically her relationship with her parents—and even with her friends at school—had changed.  The fact that she herself had changed so much probably had more to do with it than anything else.  Gone was the heartless and cold girl, who had stood by life indifferently and uncaring of the rest of the world—the Ogino Chihiro that came back from the Majou no Sekai was just as the ten-year-old Chihiro had been: just as sweet, just as loving, and just as caring of others around her, bringing a smile to every face she meets.  

**Okaa-san…and Otou-san, too…I'm so glad that things are back to the way they were between all of us.**She mused as she relaxed under the shade of the thick willow tree. **Finally…I can feel like we're a family again…and our "house" feels like a "home" again too, full of warmth and love and laughter.  I didn't realize how much I'd missed all this warmth before…**

Her memory suddenly striking a painful chord as she remembered what had occurred in the world where she had found herself again before her return to her own world, the girl suddenly felt her heart squeeze painfully and her throat tighten, her eyes threatening to spill the waiting tears.  Chihiro jumped up to distract herself, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.  

**They'll be worried if I don't show up soon.**She thought, although she still stood on the same spot before the willow tree when she had jumped up.  It wasn't that she didn't want to see her friends—being able to visit them through a magical portal whose very existence was to provide her with a route to the other world was wonderful—but on days like today, when she gets thinking like this…it was so hard to be cheerful and pretend everything was all right, when all she wanted to do was break down and cry like she did when she first returned to the humans' world, just barely three months ago.   

A single tear escaped Chihiro's closely shut eyes, trickling down her cheeks and trembling lips, followed by others.  The girl shook her head violently, as if trying to clear her mind of the all the pain which had suddenly come to hit her with full force.  An early summer breeze blew by, gently ruffling the girl's light-chestnut colored hair as if trying to comfort her.  She covered her tear-streaked face with her hands, as if trying to hide her pain from the world.  

"Haku…" she mumbled into her hands as tears continued to fall steadily, further wetting her already tear-stained cheeks.  "You promised…to come find me.  You promised that we'd meet again…and yet…"

Her arms dropped to her side as the girl turned her gaze once again skywards, towards the endlessness of clear blue through the emerald green of the trees around her.  Everytime she looked to the sky she would be reminded of him…of the joy of taking to the air on his back…then of taking to the air upon her own wings, flying towards him as he…as he…

**Oh** **Haku…I miss you so much…don't you know?  If I could only see you again!  Even if it were just for a day…even if it were just for a moment…**

Tears began to fall quicker, the girl no longer trying to stop the steady flow.  Suddenly, a somehow familiar voice spoke to her from behind, startling the girl out of her painful memories.

"Then you have given up hopes of seeing him again, even when he has promised you that he would find you no matter what?" asked the quiet intruder.

His voice was warm gentle as the summer's breezes, musical in that it was a light tenor—pleasant to listen to, Chihiro reflected without giving it much thought.  She spun around, looking around for the source of the voice but found no one aside from herself in this hidden part of the thick woods.  However, to her surprise, Chihiro found that she was not wary of her visitor, despite the fact that she did not yet know who he was, or that he had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in a place where she alone knew about.  At the moment, she was more concerned about what her unseen visitor had said to her—his words seem to sting and stick in her mind as it replayed itself over and over again.

**Given up?** The bewildered girl asked herself mentally, still looking around for the source of the voice.  **_Have_ I really given up?    **

Chihiro stopped in her quest in looking for the speaker, deep in thought.  Memory took her back to the day her beloved silver dragon had killed himself—the day she had cradled his dying form in her arms; the day his lifeless body disappeared into a thousand silver feathers—the day her dreams had ended.  All the pain she had felt were still fresh in her mind: for a moment, it was as if she was back in time again, looking at herself as Haku had disappeared.

But then she remembered his last words, spoken in her mind as he became one with the feathers which bore what remained of his essence.  Those gentle words which seemed to have engraved themselves in her heart—those gentle words which she lived by whenever the pain and loneliness of losing him became too much to bear.

*Flashback*

"Chihiro…" his voice was soft and tender in her mind, so warm and comforting.  "Chihiro…I kept my promise of meeting you again, even after all these years, didn't I?  I will make that same promise to you once more…that we will meet again.  No matter what world you're in; no matter what stands between us—I will come back, and I will find you again.  I promise you, my beloved one."

*End flashback*

The girl smiled through her tears, her broken heart once knit together again by her beloved Haku's words.  **Yes,**she thought as she turned her eyes towards the willow tree, staring straight at it from the spot between the thick trees where she had unconsciously walking to.  **We will meet again, Haku…I know you will keep your word again.  After all…**

"You're wrong." Chihiro spoke to her favorite willow tree, where she was somehow certain her unseen visitor was.  "I haven't given up…and I never will.  Never.

"I will never give up waiting for Haku…because I know he won't break his word to me.  I know he'll keep his promise." Smiling broadly, the girl walked up to the tree until she was underneath its shade again before she continued to speak.  "And besides…even if he can't come to me…I know we'll meet again…because then _I'll _go to him…to find him as he did me."

Still smiling that gentle and wide smile, Chihiro found that somehow, she could feel her invisible visitor smiling as well.  A little surprised at the…_correctness…_that this strange feeling—that she would be able to know this stranger's emotions as well—felt to her, Chihiro resumed her search for her voice's speaker, suddenly burning with a breathless curiosity as to whom her unseen visitor could be.

A small early-summer breeze whispered to her through the rustling willow tree, causing her to look up…and when she did, Chihiro felt her heart stop momentarily.

Sitting on a willow branch, shaded by its thick leaves, was a young man with slightly dark hair and gentle moss-green eyes, wearing clothes made with a cloth of the purest white, outlined with emerald and sky-blue hems.

All the girl could do was gasp at the vision, motionless and unable to take her eyes off of the river spirit in flesh and blood, sitting before her in the human's world.  

She could not believe her eyes—nor did she want to be deceived by them, lest it turn out to be merely a vision, or a fragrant of her imagination.  Chihiro stepped back involuntarily as the young man jumped down the length of half the willow to land directly in front of her, only a few paces away.  They both stood there, within reaching distance, and stared at each other—his eyes unwavering in the emotion that they held, hers searching.  Finally, he smiled tenderly at her stunned expression and spoke, his gentle voice quiet.

"It's been so long."  

Four simple words…four simple words that brought back so much memory—the same four words that the silver dragon had spoken to her when they had finally been reunited in the Majou no Sekai—the same four words which he had spoken to her then with indescribable emotion that had warmed her heart as it did now. 

"Haku…" Chihiro managed to whisper to the boy before her, as if afraid that he would disappear if she spoke any louder.  His only reaction was to continued to smile that especially tender smile which he seemed to have reserved just for her, as if he too, was afraid that she would disappear before his eyes if he did anything to disturb the silence that had come over the both of them.  Somewhere in Chihiro's heart, the girl found that she knew—she just _knew_—that this had to be her Haku…the only one who could provoke these deep feelings from the very bottom of her soul and make her heart beat so much faster.  With that reassurance in her mind, the girl felt herself grin, her eyes filling with her love for him and the tears of joy of seeing him again.

"It really _is_ you!"

Not wanting to be separated from him for another moment longer, the girl jumped into his waiting arms and began to sob on his chest within his gratefully tight hold.  Lifting her face so she could see him without loosening her grip on him—or his hold on her—Chihiro could see that the silver dragon's eyes were wet with emotion as well.  Smiling gently, she reached up to wipe his tears for him at the same moment he reached down to wipe her tears.  Laughing when they both realized what they were doing, they continued to hold tightly onto one another as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes—and saw in them the same unfathomable degree of love that they themselves held for the other, enjoying the simple joy of being together again.

"Say, Haku…" Chihiro whispered as the silver dragon leaned down to rest his forehead on hers.

"Hm…?" he asked, not wanting to break up the physical closeness they shared at the moment.

"You told you that you loved me…and I think that's wonderful!—_but _" Chihiro smiled mischievously before continuing, feeling the sharp intake of breath her companion and love had taken at the word _but.  _"You never asked me how I felt about you."

Pulling back just enough to look her straight in the eye—and almost afraid of what he might find there—the river spirit saw a teasing laughter intermixed with the undoubtable love the girl held for him within them.  Relaxing, Haku cocked his head to one side and pouted, deciding on playing her game and melting the girl's heart in the process.  

"But…but I thought you…  If you don't love me…then I might just have to disappear again."  The nineteen human-years old silver dragon said in an innocent voice, trying to offset the girl he held in his arms into confessing to him her true feelings.  However, Chihiro knew him all too well.  Putting on a pout of her own she answered him sweetly, but tightened her arms around him all the same.

"Uh-uh…you wouldn't disappear again." Chihiro said to Haku as she pulled him closer to herself again.  "I wouldn't let you…and you'd come back to me…because you promised, remember?"

Smiling, and knowing that he had lost, the silver dragon gave in to the girl before him and asked, trying to sound serious and fighting his urge to chuckle at the turn in their conversation.  "Alright then…Ogino Chihiro…how _do _you feel about me?"

Her grin broadening, Chihiro pulled her Haku even closer to herself as she whispered on his lips ever so softly, the two of them lost to the world around them.  

"I feel that whenever I'm with you…I'm whole again.  Because I hold only half of me—because I'm incomplete without you.  Whenever I'm with you…I know that everything will be alright, even if they aren't—because you're there…and that's all that matters to me.  Because…"

She didn't get a chance to finish as Haku suddenly leaned forward, pressing his lips on hers in a prolonged kiss.  Her knees threatened to buckle beneath her as she shivered at the sudden surge of emotion rushing through her body, setting her veins on fire.  Smiling as she felt him tighten his hold on her once again, Chihiro pulled away just a bit to get a better look at him.  At his quizzical gaze, Chihiro laughed softly, feeling suddenly giddy as she finished her sentence.     

"Because I'm in love with you, Nigihayami Kohakunushi…I'm in love with you with all my heart and soul."

Then her mouth was on his again, his breath warmly mingling with her own as the hot sweetness from his lips raced through her body.  Words were no longer necessary between the two lovers—they were connected, heart and body and soul—and they understood the deep emotions they felt for each other as they understood their own.  For long moments they stayed like this, neither wanting to break up such indescribable feelings they felt right now. 

Smiling as they broke off their kiss, their foreheads still pressed together and their lips still slightly brushing, Haku whispered gently to his beloved girl as he leaned in to kiss her again, as if never wanting to stop.

"I know…I know."

_~*~ Owari ~*~ _

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*blinkblink* Wow…I can't believe it's really done…!!!  There you have it, ladies and gentleman: the ending of **The Day the Dream Ended**, brought to you by yours truly ^^*  Hopefully, you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it~!!

A big THANK YOU goes to EVERYONE who read/reviewed~!! *huggles* This being my first ficcy ever…each and every one of you reading this ficcy (and especially to those of you who reviewed…you guys rock~! ) mean sooo much more to me than you'll ever know~!  Thanks for sticking by me and reading even though some chappies might've dragged on forever and even though there were times even **I **thought the ficcy would never end~!! ^^;;  

And as for the creation of this chappie—I like happy endings…and usually the "happy" in "happy endings" doesn't come without the "sappy" parts…which this chappie seemed to major in =^^=  But if you prefer the bittersweet ending, feel free to ignore this chappie…not like I can do anything to prevent you to, anyhow!   But in either case…I **do** hope that you guys liked this chappie…after all, the genre was Action/Adventure/**Romance**, rite?? n.n

And anyhow…seems like there are always explanation and excuses for my ficcy, aren't here??  Looks like this one isn't gunna be an exception, either XP   Hey, it's good to keep a tradition going, you know??  Alrite…here goes:

**1./ **I dunt quite remember how the seasons in Japan goes (as in what season it is in Japanese when it's summer for us in North America)…but, for the sake of this story…let's just say that it's like Canadian/American weather, shall we??  That means that I wanted to imply in this chappie that summer was finally here, and thus the trees have all just barely reached green…etc.  Let's just say, early June, shall we?? ^^*  As if that's important…but guess it's always good to know, ne?? XD  

**2./ **The "excuse" the Oginos gave for Chihiro's disappearance for a few days (yes, she was gone for a few days, as far as I'm concerned ^^) deserves a reference to InuYasha…Kagome's grandpa had used the same excuse for Kagome's extended absences at school, but he was more creative than I was and came up with a different disease everytime she had to leave her world ^^;;

I guess that's about it… *sniff sniff* Thanx again ever so much for reading…and dunt forget to leave a review this time~!  After all, this is the last time I'm gunna hear you guys tell me what you think of my ficcy…which is especially important for its ending~! =^^=

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* WAIT~!!! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

*panting as I ran to catch up with ppl leaving* I almost forgot~!  *blushes* As a special "thank you" for everyone reading my ficcy till the very very very end (^^*), I'm putting in a lil…preview, of sorts, of a new Spirited Away fic that I've just started~!  Hopefully, you'll like what little bit you see here, and come back to read the rest when I post it~!!   So here is it, a sneak previewed of my newest ficcy, premiering at a fanfiction.net page soon near you =^^=

_Summary of fic: _The fading melodies of memories.  The agent of Time, intent on washing away emotions.  Four years after her return to the human world, Chihiro finds herself forgetting…forgetting about the Majou no Sekai…and forgetting about Haku… 

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**Across Time and Worlds / Dearest Unreachable You**

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Kohaku,

I'm here writing you another letter…pathetic, aren't I?  After all…it's not like these letters will ever reach you, no matter how much I may wish them to.  I know they won't…and yet…I can't help it but keep writing them to you—to me, you see…this is sort of like my way of reaching out to you.  Deep down inside…I _think _I'm hoping that if I reach long and hard enough…then maybe someday these letters will find a way of reaching you.  *blushes* Don't laugh at me, Haku-kun…when I'm so far apart from you…when I miss you this much…when all I can do is pray and wish…  

But…it's too bad my wishes—even if I am to wish with my entire heart—won't find a way to get to you.  I don't think even wishing could cross over dimensions and time to reach out to you—to bring you my message that I…

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Okay, so that wasn't very exciting…but that was only the first 2 paragraphs of the ficcy…so please come and check it out when I post it~!!  And again, thank you ever so much for reading and reviewing my fic XP

~Aqua Sunshine ^^*


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